Cost of Consultants.

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  • #54360

    Arfon Jones
    Participant

    Wrexham Council has published details of how much they spent on Consultants and on external legal advice. The details in an Information Report to members show that spending on Consultants and External Legal Advice has increase by 66% on the previous year from £1.14 million to £1.9 million.

    The rise in net costs was even higher – consultants’ costs went from £478,000 to £810,000. The £1m legal experts’ fees was mainly for advice on the outstanding equal pay claim and “other major projects”.

    The details are in Part 2 of the report to councillors, so not available to the public.

    Plaid Wrecsam: Plaid Cymru concern at increase in consultants’ costs at Wrexham Council

    #65525

    Alunh
    Participant

    @Arfon Jones 10331 wrote:

    Wrexham Council has published details of how much they spent on Consultants and on external legal advice. The details in an Information Report to members show that spending on Consultants and External Legal Advice has increase by 66% on the previous year from £1.14 million to £1.9 million.

    The rise in net costs was even higher – consultants’ costs went from £478,000 to £810,000. The £1m legal experts’ fees was mainly for advice on the outstanding equal pay claim and “other major projects”.

    The details are in Part 2 of the report to councillors, so not available to the public.

    Plaid Wrecsam: Plaid Cymru concern at increase in consultants’ costs at Wrexham Council

    This is an interesting subject. I do have some sympathy with the view that specialist consultants might, from time to time, be brought in and they may well crack a difficult problem. I gather, for example, that a Consultancy company are to be used to help reactivate the Markets, particularly the People’s Market. Equally, I do find it frustrating that Wrexham has got to the point where Consultants have to be brought in to advise the authority on matters that are so basic and that should have been dealt with by the in-house management teams years ago.

    I came into the People’s Market in 2005 and exited in May this year. Through most of that time the place has been filthy and badly managed. Fact. A hierarchy of Management has been responsible for the place (at great cost) yet the most simple of tasks have been neglected. Even today, when you go down the stairs from the Car Parks to the South Arcade you can see the Graffiti by the 1st floor sign that reads “Deno the Fat T***”. This has been there for the last few years. Imagine the same scenario in Eagles Meadow.

    There is an Economic Development Department in Wrexham yet no one involved in the management of the Markets had in my time of tenure any Retail experience. Is that a good indicator of the seriousness with which we approach such vital questions as Economic Development?

    I am guessing that the answer the Council will get from the Consultancy firm on the future of the Markets will be reminiscent of the advice offered to Charlie Drake in his famous record ‘My Boomerang won’t come back’………..that is, they will point to obvious mundane points that would be regarded as basic in any business in the Town.

    I trust that Amanda and her team will show the same spirit and upbeat approach that seems to be now creeping into the Markets but I suspect that Consultants will still be required for quite a long time in this town

    #65509

    Arfon Jones
    Participant

    There is a report coming to the Business & Economy Scrutiny Committee next week by the Consultants that have been taken on to make recommendations on the markets as soon as I find it I’ll post the link up here.

    #65510

    Arfon Jones
    Participant

    Quaterbridge are the name of the Consultants and there is a CONFIDENTIAL briefing note about future plans going to the Scrutiny Committee at 6pm tomorrow, sorry I can’t post this briefing paper at this time.

    #65532

    jimbow
    Participant

    Would it be possible for Arfon Jones to publish on Wrexham. com the cost of the Consultants fees for their recommendations for the Town Centre Markets,when they are known..I have been a Tenant in the Markets (now retired)and as has been already alluded to,found the Markets Management extremely inefficient.In 2006 Tenants had a vote of no confidence in the Market Management,but their concerns fell on deaf ears.You just cannot make inroads into full time WCBC hierarchy.

    #65538

    wxm
    Participant

    When the spending fuelled by borrowing came to an end in 2008, business had to be very frugal, and on figures recently published, this continues with businesses building reserves, because forecasts suggest finances will not be realigned until 2022. One common element struck out were consultancy and extraordinary fees, managing with the resources and experience to hand. £2m not spent on such fees, will provide a lot of needed resource in the community . . .whether home care, school books, extra libraries, playing fields.

    #65549

    DR
    Participant

    Would seem that there’s a fair few ‘confidential’ Part 2 meetings going on lately. Always interesting being in a Council meeting that starts as a Part 1 and then starts straying into Part 2 territory.

    #65511

    Arfon Jones
    Participant

    Part 2 has been a problem for a while, nothing lately about it. The issue has been in the press, it was a subject of an internal audit complaint and a complaint to the Welsh Audit Office as well as two FOIA complaints which are currently with the Information Commissioner.

    #65550

    DR
    Participant

    I’d hope really that meetings that go on under Part 2 are run with a bit more clarity than some Part 1 meetings, especially as they’re decisions being made without the public knowing what’s going on. Was in a meeting recently when one councillor asked what they were voting for, after the vote had taken place. Would hope this doesn’t happen under the Part 2!

    #65512

    Arfon Jones
    Participant

    Worrying indeed!

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