Town Centre Partnership, Does anyone know the facts? Options

[Richard Garvie]

I'm trying to establish the facts of the TCP, as many people I have asked give differing accounts.

1. Is it a Community Interest Company or is it formed as a limited company or something else?

2. Where can I view the constitution? Have any of you actually seen a copy?

3. If it has no constitution, are the council legally allowed to give it money?

4. What is the criteria for membership? Is it members electing members as I believe? If it is an inclusive group of people, what mandate does it have?

5. Does the TCP publish it's accounts, and if so, where can I view copies of them from previous year?

6. Why is the TCP in charge of the BID process, and what involvement will they have in the operation of the BID if successfull? Is it true that the TCP will apoint the BID manager if it is given the green light?

I have serious concerns, the more I look into this group of unelected representatives, the power they have and the public money they recieve indirectly and directly, I'm surprised this has not been investigated more strenuously. How can they represent town centre businesses that they refuse admission to meetings?

[user23]

How does one investigate something more strenuously?

[Guest_xjay1337_*]

By reading and writing with vigour and intent.

[Simon Kirby]

1. Is it a Community Interest Company or is it formed as a limited company or something else?

Doubt it, CICs have only been going a year or so. I'd guess it was a company limited by guarantee. Have you searched Companies House, because if it'sa body corporate they'll know about it unless it's an Industrial and Privident and I doubt it's one of those.

2. Where can I view the constitution? Have any of you actually seen a copy?

I have a feeling the Registrar of Companies at Companies House makes these available for public inspection.

3. If it has no constitution, are the council legally allowed to give it money?

If it's a body corporate it has to have one, and for a company limited by guarantee it's the memorandum & articles of association.

Whether the Council has the power to give it money is a separate question. Every council has to have an explicit statutory power to do everything it does. So for example, when Newbury Town Council gives them £4k I'm guessing they do it under Section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. Interestingly enough to give £4k under that power the Council also has to make the grant conditional on the TCP giving the NTC a report of how they spent the money, which usually means a copy of their annual accounts, and local government electors have a statutory right to get a copy of that report under Section 228 of the Act.

4. What is the criteria for membership? Is it members electing members as I believe? If it is an inclusive group of people, what mandate does it have?

Don't know.

5. Does the TCP publish it's accounts, and if so, where can I view copies of them from previous year?

See answer to #3.

6. Why is the TCP in charge of the BID process, and what involvement will they have in the operation of the BID if successfull? Is it true that the TCP will apoint the BID manager if it is given the green light?

I have serious concerns, the more I look into this group of unelected representatives, the power they have and the public money they recieve indirectly and directly, I'm surprised this has not been investigated more strenuously. How can they represent town centre businesses that they refuse admission to meetings?

Don't know.

[Bofem]

Google is amazing Mr Garvie.....you should try it.

Newbury Town Centre Partnership was set up as a Community Interest Company (ie a social enterprise) on 31 July 2009. (CIC No: 06977701).

The latest accounts are here.  TCP_accounts_2010.pdf ( 134.26K ) Number of downloads: 9
Obviously they could be much more transparent, such as by showing who the donors are. You can also see a 'statment of purpose' where the directors suggest what benefits they bring.

The directors are Malcolm Bull of private developer Rivar and Patrick Griffin of architects Sutton Grifffin (part of Carter Jonas). There are three other directors (property lawyer Tom Rossiter, shopkeeper Liz Chandler and one other I forget).

WBC's donation is handed over from cost code E030W and this year's donation was £23486 paid on 1 April.

Anything else we can help with?

[On the edge]

Ummm. and the democratic process - as Private Eye once had it; 'why bother with Moss Bros let us stitch you up'

[Cognosco]

Google is amazing Mr Garvie.....you should try it.

Newbury Town Centre Partnership was set up as a Community Interest Company (ie a social enterprise) on 31 July 2009. (CIC No: 06977701).

The latest accounts are here.  TCP_accounts_2010.pdf ( 134.26K ) Number of downloads: 9
Obviously they could be much more transparent, such as by showing who the donors are. You can also see a 'statment of purpose' where the directors suggest what benefits they bring.

The directors are Malcolm Bull of private developer Rivar and Patrick Griffin of architects Sutton Grifffin (part of Carter Jonas). There are three other directors (property lawyer Tom Rossiter, shopkeeper Liz Chandler and one other I forget).

WBC's donation is handed over from cost code E030W and this year's donation was £23486 paid on 1 April.

Anything else we can help with?

Nothing like a nice understatement to start the day!

Nice to be so enlightened!

[Simon Kirby]

Good work there Bofem.

[NWNREADER]

When Richard comes back to this damp squib of a question (or several) he may reflect on the tactic of firing from the hip before doing some basic groundwork. He fires blanks while giving his opponents live ammo.

[user23]

When Richard comes back to this damp squib of a question (or several) he may reflect on the tactic of firing from the hip before doing some basic groundwork. He fires blanks while giving his opponents live ammo.

Meanwhile, in Spalding it seems Sustainable Spalding are unable to answer basic questions.

Sustainable Spalding

Interesting comments here too, if you scroll down

laughing stock in the region

it's even money he will end up working as a spin doctor for one of the political parties as he can certainly spin but not provide any form of REAL answers so far to the people of this town, which he has made into a laughing stock in the region.

My question would be, do the residents of Spalding know about his activities in Newbury? The comment above suggests not.

[Richard Garvie]

My question would be, do the residents of Spalding know about his activities in Newbury? The comment above suggests not.

The council in Spalding do, which is why there were a few problems as the Conservative members didn't initially want to work with me because of my political affiliation. Petty if you ask me. Anyway, what has this got to do with the TCP? Not trying to distract the thread from the subject AGAIN are you???

PS. This has already been raised before and I would go on to say that although people can write a letter to any newspaper, the newspaper is not required to give anyone a platform to answer every question. I have, however, given my phone number and email address on ultiple occasions in the media there, and if anybody wanted a direct reply to any question they only have to get in touch. Same applies to Newbury, if anyone wants to contact me my contact details are easily found on both forums and on the Labour Party website.

[Richard Garvie]

When Richard comes back to this damp squib of a question (or several) he may reflect on the tactic of firing from the hip before doing some basic groundwork. He fires blanks while giving his opponents live ammo.

Not at all, there are a number of serious questions about the TCP that need to be answered.

[Andy Capp]

My question would be, do the residents of Spalding know about his activities in Newbury? The comment above suggests not.

I understand that it is your point of view that Internet forums cannot be considered to reliably reflect the opinions of a population.

[NWNREADER]

Not at all, there are a number of serious questions about the TCP that need to be answered.

Which ones? Meaning 'Which ones for which the answers are not readily available if only you look'?

[Richard Garvie]

4 and 6 yet to be answered, plus there are other questions about what mandate they have and the amount of power this unelected group of people is given.

[user23]

I understand that it is your point of view that Internet forums cannot be considered to reliably reflect the opinions of a population.

True, that's only one person's opinion of Sustainable Spalding however there seems to be nothing about it on the official website, Sustainable Spalding.

Here's some more opinion relating to this, which compares Sustainable Spalding to "Del Boy".

My point is that Newbury Labour like to ask a lot of questions and talk about transparency however Sustainable Spalding having got their foot in door with the local council seem, if you believe what you read, to be dodging questions asked by the public, not publishing the results of consultations and not publicising their political connections.

[NWNREADER]

4 and 6 yet to be answered, plus there are other questions about what mandate they have and the amount of power this unelected group of people is given.

Answered by whom?
I very much doubt anyone on here knows the answers for sure. A man with your connections should know who to direct the questions to for a full answer. You paint an image of intrigue when the realty is simply there are some things you wonder about. There may be something amiss, there may not be. Ask your question of the proper source and then let us know if you get blanked/lied to or the answer seems otherwise inappropriate.

[Richard Garvie]

Answered by whom?
I very much doubt anyone on here knows the answers for sure. A man with your connections should know who to direct the questions to for a full answer. You paint an image of intrigue when the realty is simply there are some things you wonder about. There may be something amiss, there may not be. Ask your question of the proper source and then let us know if you get blanked/lied to or the answer seems otherwise inappropriate.

This is the problem, nobody from the TCP is allowed to talk to me. You cannot make it up, what open and transparent organisation (CIC) can decide not to talk to a member of the local community?

[Richard Garvie]

True, that's only one person's opinion of Sustainable Spalding however there seems to be nothing about it on the official website, Sustainable Spalding.

Here's some more opinion relating to this, which compares Sustainable Spalding to "Del Boy".

My point is that Newbury Labour like to ask a lot of questions and talk about transparency however Sustainable Spalding having got their foot in door with the local council seem, if you believe what you read, to be dodging questions asked by the public, not publishing the results of consultations and not publicising their political connections.

Deflect, deflect!!! If you want me to answer any more stupid questions on this, start a new thread in random rants and I'll happily oblige. For the record, all consultation results have been published, including in the local paper and copies given to local organisations there.

[Bofem]

Q4 then....how does one get on to the TCP.

Give them some money...you don't have to be a town centre business (Sutton Griffin, college, racecourse, Cannons have all been members). It doesn't cost much either, for as little as £150 you can get a place on the steering group (ask Mr Hopson). Sainsburys however used to pay around £4k but cancelled it in 2009.

Q6. Why is the TCP in charge of the BID? It was their idea. Well sort of....they decided we should mimic dynamic towns who've done this elsewhere. They will appoint the BID manager, and it will be dominated by big business interests. We've been here before, which is how Newbury Retail Association came into being.

The real reason for the BID is that the TCP (relying on ad hoc donations) kept running out of money. When the chips were down, one of the members would ask anyone else they can think of to chip in and in return they'd get a place at the table. So the current situation is far more unsavoury, which is why the Illuminati are running it.

In theory, the BID formalises all this, and makes it more transparent.