nice to know where the taxpayers money got spent

[the second coming]

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1558016/?UserKey=#ixzz0cUM4nXXY

Hang 'em high is what I say

[bekisman]

Sorry 'The Second Coming' don't want to hijack your thread BUT just had to reproduce this bit from the P&J, if not only to see what the Wickers think of living in "A Deprived Town"!
Auditors reveal failings of Highland Energy Scheme
Catalogue of blunders by officials cost £16m [£16,000,000 - looks worse that way]
By Iain Ramage
Published: 13/01/2010
A bungled Highland Council green energy scheme to heat homes in a deprived town and cash in by feeding the national grid blew £16million of public money.An auditors report, discussed in private yesterday, exposed a catalogue of failures by council officials – past and present – who oversaw the community project in the Pulteneytown area of Wick.
The local authority’s chief executive is now deciding whether anyone should face disciplinary action over the failed Caithness Heat and Power scheme.The 30-page report by the council’s head of internal audit, Nigel Rose, was shown to more than 60 councillors who attended a special meeting in Inverness yesterday. Councillors were not allowed to keep a copy.
External auditor Lynn Bradley, of Audit Scotland, who also attended, spoke of the “rigorous and scrupulous nature” of the document.
It highlighted “weaknesses in formal project appraisal, business planning, governance arrangements and statement of resource implications”. It also stated that “technological and financial risk assessments were not adequately undertaken or reported to the council”.
The scheme was set up in 2004 by Highland Council, Inver House Distillers Ltd and the Pulteneytown People’s Project. The council took control four years later when it became clear the project was not achieving its aims. Wider circulation of the audit report was barred to protect the identities of individuals and because the council has sought legal advice on possible action against the manufacturers of equipment used in the project.
Almost 250 homes had benefited from heat and hot water from an innovative bio-mass boiler, initially fuelled by local wood. It fed water pipes into homes for access to cheap, 24-hour heating. But things went wrong when machinery was added with the idea of enabling the council to sell electricity produced by the system to the national grid.
The council later mothballed the “gasifier” plant, built for the purpose beside Pulteneytown Distillery, and sought to negotiate a contract with a private firm to look after the interests of consumers while continuing to underwrite the scheme.
The heating scheme is now powered by an oil-fired boiler and the costs have since mounted. It is understood that eight of the 10 officials involved have since left the council. While planning chairman Ian Ross insisted that “lessons had been learned” from the experience, a council statement issued after the meeting conceded that “governance arrangements should have been stronger”.
It added that “many improvement actions” had already been taken. The audit stated that potential future costs were “uncertain”, but that discussions were under way with two bidders who had registered an interest in taking over the district heating system.
New owners would be expected to fund, design, instal and operate new equipment required to connect into the existing pipe network. The bids will be evaluated by a council project team and its advisers who will report back to the company board.

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1558016/?UserKey=#ixzz0cUV34R6e (http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1558016/?UserKey=#ixzz0cUV34R6e)

[Venture]

For those of you not familiar with CHAP follow the link below.

http://www.caithness.org/chap/index.htm

[dozy]

Here's hoping the GUILTY parties are brought to book and the local community make their feelings known..

[Phill]

"The bids will be evaluated by a council project team and its advisers who will report back to the company board."

Are the council project team really qualified and competent to make any evaluations as surely they were part of this disaster.

[Venture]

Disciplinary action? So who are these so called officials still working with the council? Are they the ones going to be taken to task for this waste of public money? What a joke.:roll: The whole thing will be left to "burn" itself out.

[Mik.M.]

Disciplinary action? So who are these so called officials still working with the council? Are they the ones going to be taken to task for this waste of public money? What a joke.:roll: The whole thing will be left to "burn" itself out.
These will be the ones with nice houses and new cars and 3 holidays in the sun a year.;)

[badger]

and they haven't finished yet ... Another £5m. on school turbines etc.

http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/7628/Safety_pledge_on_school_wind_turbines.html

Seems they have money to burn. Of course if they did something sensible like installing thermostats so school windows didn't have to be open in winter when it gets to hot, or even replacing old boilers, there might be some sense in that and it would probably cost a lot less.

[Stavro]

... £16,000,000 ... of public money.

An auditors report, discussed in private yesterday,

The 30-page report ... was shown to more than 60 councillors

Councillors were not allowed to keep a copy.

... the document ... highlighted “weaknesses in formal project appraisal, business planning, governance arrangements and statement of resource implications”. It also stated that “technological and financial risk assessments were not adequately undertaken or reported to the council”.

The scheme was set up in 2004 by ... and the Pulteneytown People’s Project. The council took control four years later when it became clear the project was not achieving its aims.

http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1558016/?UserKey=#ixzz0cUV34R6e (http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/1558016/?UserKey=#ixzz0cUV34R6e)

£16,000,000.00 !!!!!!

Report shown in private.

Councillors not allowed to keep a copy of a mere 30-page report.

What "formal project appraisal, business planning, governance arrangements, statement of resource implications, ... technological and financial risk assessments" were Pulteneytown People’s Project capable of?

More behind-closed-doors stuff. We clearly need more representatives like Cllr. David Bremner, who understand how important it is to have the public present in order that questions can be asked and answers required. [evil]

[northener]

No, you lot don't really get it do you.

They've already said "Lessons have been learned", can't you see that this exonerates them all from any responsibility? Blimey, what's wrong with you folk.....;)

[sphinx]

name and shame them thats what i say what a waste of taxpayers money

[badger]

No, you lot don't really get it do you.

They've already said "Lessons have been learned", can't you see that this exonerates them all from any responsibility? Blimey, what's wrong with you folk.....;)

How true. So now they've said they have learned the lessons, they can carry on to spend another £5m. with a clear conscience. No chance they will make the same mistakes again - they have learned [disgust]

[northener]

How true. So now they've said they have learned the lessons, they can carry on to spend another £5m. with a clear conscience. No chance they will make the same mistakes again - they have learned [disgust]

Laughable isn't it?

If I don't pay my tax bill because I've overspent, do you think the Inland Revenue will let me off if I tell them that "lessons have been learnt"?

[QUADBIKER]

name and shame. I don't think it would matter much to the councillors involved in this, I take it they are still collecting their councillors pay and staying at home hiding their faces in their posh bungalows!! If I remember correctly was there not a piece in the paper from a councillor whom assured the taxpayers this heating scheme would be a success. I believe that one of the councillors involved in this scheme is a member on the org, I also asked questions before and received no reply. I wonder if they have the decency to give the taxpayers some form of answer as to why 16 million pounds has been wasted.
Someone must be held to account for this.
If this happened elsewhere except within the council these people woould be in jail for wasting this amount of money or have the councillors involved in this done the decent thing and resigned!!
The pultneytown area was classed as a deprived area after this it definately will be deprived. How far would this amount of money of helped towards a new high school to bring our school children out of poverty and being deprived of a decent eduction.

[sphinx]

the money they spent on the heating could have built a good school........... for the future of kids to come .........;)

[Blarney]

£16,000,000.00 !!!!!!

Report shown in private.

Councillors not allowed to keep a copy of a mere 30-page report.

What "formal project appraisal, business planning, governance arrangements, statement of resource implications, ... technological and financial risk assessments" were Pulteneytown People’s Project capable of?

More behind-closed-doors stuff. We clearly need more representatives like Cllr. David Bremner, who understand how important it is to have the public present in order that questions can be asked and answers required. [evil]
Councillors are our elected representatives and if they aren't up to the job in hand then the electors should be made of aware of their shortcomings so that they can make an informed decision on who they want to represent them. Name them now and stop the subterfuge - it's OUR money they're squandering to inflate their egos.