Lews Castle tenders
It appears the winner knew on Wednesday and the losing contractor was told on Friday.
The official announcement is this week, apparently.
The Bushmills, I am told, is flowing.....
As others have mentioned, the parameters that were set are designed to ensure a level playing field for all potential bidders.
In Shetland, for instance, the parameters were designed in such a way to protect (but not insulate) the local contractors from predatory pricing by businesses who had no long-term local connections.
According to senior Comhairle officers, this was impossible. And given the attitude of certain senior Councillors to the local building trade, such a policy was never going to be driven forward.
One local contractor was asking the Council when he could expected any work to be put out to tender. The straight and deadly serious answer was, "28 years. After the schools maintenance tender is completed."
The official announcement is this week, apparently.
The Bushmills, I am told, is flowing.....
As others have mentioned, the parameters that were set are designed to ensure a level playing field for all potential bidders.
In Shetland, for instance, the parameters were designed in such a way to protect (but not insulate) the local contractors from predatory pricing by businesses who had no long-term local connections.
According to senior Comhairle officers, this was impossible. And given the attitude of certain senior Councillors to the local building trade, such a policy was never going to be driven forward.
One local contractor was asking the Council when he could expected any work to be put out to tender. The straight and deadly serious answer was, "28 years. After the schools maintenance tender is completed."
41 comments:
I wonder if this time the Council checked that they would be paying their employees the Scottish Building rate of pay which most local contractors pay and if they have to take on local apprentices? Knowing this council probably not anything that helps the local contractors goes against the grain.
Sorry to have to correct you Mr Nicolson, but Pattons were informed that they were successful in their tender at least 2 weeks ago.
Many local companies have benefitted from the schools contract, yet how many have employed apprentices on the back of that work, especially as it is additional spend over and above the normal capital programme?
Are there SBF rates of pay? Certainly the minimum legal wage applies, and surely everything else is down to competitive pressures between companies. When times are good,and there is a surplus of work, salaries and hourly rates increase. In a recession, the opposite is true.
Could it be that rates on the island have been articially high in recent years and are now stablising at level that is reflective of the current difficult market?
Anon 6:47pm
Does the same go for Comhairle staff then? Now that we are in a recession are they prepared to take a reduction in their lucrative pension pots, reduced hours and lower pay?? Or do they just throw their toys out of the pram and go on strike with very little knock on effect and certainly no sympathy.
Do the Comhairle staff competitively tender for their jobs? Maybe they should but until then you are comparing apples with rubber tyres.
Bullshit. As usual, this blogger gets the facts wrong, thus spoiling the grain of truth that's actually in there ...
At least 3 and probably 5 tenders would have been invited.
I suspect that, as ever, the external funders will have to review reports on tenders before a contract is awarded. After all it's their money too. That's where the delays can creep in.
Have you bothered to check how much of the work in this contract is actually going to go to local sub-contractors - for instance, roofing works, stone repairs? No of course not, because if you had, you would realise it is about 80% of the value, and consequently, not have a "decent" story to run on your highly selective website.
"All comments must be approved by the blog author"? Hmmm, wonder why, no reason to let the truth get in the way of a good story, I suppose
the truth is about 5-10% will be subbed out to locals the opposite would be the case if a local got the job
Yea, can we hear a bit more please about the £30m Schools Maintenance Contract and just how many Comhairle staff have lost jobs as a direct result of this decision?
Aye, "such a parcel o' rogues in a nation".
There's another connection with Bushmills (apart from the Irish whiskey")! - http://www.bushmillspresbyterian.co.uk/index.asp
8:25 where do YOU get your facts from? "Have you bothered to check how much of the work in this contract is actually going to go to local sub-contractors - for instance, roofing works, stone repairs? No of course not, because if you had, you would realise it is about 80% of the value" What utter utter utter nonsense< but hey, look on the bright side, at least 2 local contractors were ALLOWED to price for it this time, unlike the schools.
6:47pm
Certainly the minimum legal wage applies, and surely everything else is down to competitive pressures between companies.
So let's put everyone in the Comhairle onto minimum wage - let's remember that is £6.08 per hour or around £11,500 per annum for a 36 hour week - and let them put a business plan in to justify why they should earn more than this.... Maybe regardless of the justification, "competitive pressures" may mean that the Comhairle can only afford to pay them £6.08 per hour and even then, they may have to wait a day or two or three extra for their money because FM f***ing P hasn't paid the boss for 90 days....
Now go away and get real, polish your coffee cup and thank the Lord you have a job in the civil service!
Haha capitalism at work and no one likes it. Island contractors are just as free to bid for each and every job which is advertised, including further afield on the mainland as they see fit. It's not the Comhairle that dictates the procurement legislation, it's the mighty European Union.
No company, in any industry, gets handed work on a plate now, so the sooner people realise this and raise their game to compete the better. Just how competitive are local contractors if mainland contractors, with all their extra overheads such as accommodation and flights, can still be cheaper? That should give the local guys a huge opportunity rather than think they can continue to ride a gravy train that has long since left the station.
And at least one island contractor was involved in bidding the schools project, unsuccessfully however. That hasn't stopped many others getting involved, without complaint.
As for Comhairle wages and reference to the legal minimum wage, is it fair that Wayne Rooney gets paid £250k a WEEK to kick a leather ball around a pitch when nurses are notoriously underpaid? Life is unfair so grow up....
Between payouts to gritter firms, accountancy firms and who ever else that the public don't know off, costing US, the taxpayer hundreds of thousands of pounds to get these muppets out of the sh*t, brushing these matters under the carpet has to stop, SURELY somebody should should be punished for these decisions. As for handing out multi million pound contracts to off island contractors,what's the game plan here??? The blame must start from the top, Mr. Burr it looks to me as if that man couldn't organise a ride in a hoor house and looking at his record he has a thing for finishing off companies around here, put him on a performance related salary and watch him squirm, I bet he would try a little harder for us then. as for MR. Campbell the locals firms help keep his filling station afloat making up Oooohhhh i would say 70 percent of his weekly fuel sales, and this is what he does to help these firms, it's beyond me. take a long hard look at yourselves, you should be ashamed!!! then you have the local councilors, i cant quite work out what they do, we only seem to see them when they need a vote, do they get locked in that big building between elections and get whipped by the dominator, looks like it!! FOR THE PEOPLE, remember!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I would be questionning why it is going to cost £13 million (at the moment) to tart up the castle. Surely you could build a brand new castle for that, or maybe we should call it a folly?
I don't know the tendering process but in this instance a non-local company wins the contract then subcontracts 80% of it to locally based firms. Surely the local company who's tendering for the contract approaches the same companies and gets the same price? Or is it a 'take the work or leave it' situation when the tender is won?
lets get this clear from the start, the input of the local contractors will be at best 5%, so i don't know where this 80% is coming from,that is pure fiction.I can only hope that people remember this at the local election time, because the silence from our representatives is quite embarrassing.
11:36pm
At least Wayne Rooney has talent which is more than can be said for anyone making "decisions" in the Comhairle.
11:36 "No company, in any industry, gets handed work on a plate now,"
How naive, almost refreshing.
But in this case, no matter who won the job, 90% of this contract is "specialist work" and the ability to screw these contractors for every last penny is clearly with the winner.
I'm looking at this string of consistently abusive comments, some half-witted, some better, some worse.
And my thoughts are: get down to the Comhairle Offices at the end of April, pick up nomination papers, put yourself up honestly for election in May. Show how you'll do better, and put your proposals out in the public domain.
Otherwise, STFU.
ill give the mickey mouse and bugs bunny a shout, they'd teach you a thing or two. wind your neck in!!!!!!
6:55 PM
Specialist work requiring specialist sub-contractors, skills and expertise of which there is likely very little on the islands. Correct me if I'm wrong, but when UBC (a supposedly local contractor) won the Town Hall revamp, they had to import the stone masons and roofers from Inverness...no?
UBC brickies were actually trained to do the stone work on the town hall and well done on them for doing it.
We need to back our LOCAL business' that provide homes and food for families by providing work and training but how can we do this if we sit back and let these jobs go to companies not just from the mainland but another country?!
JBE ( electrical contractors on the school's project) offered fully qualified electricians work at a rate of £14p/h which some friends of mine took them up on only to find after the first week their rate was sliced to £8 p/h (less than a 3rd years rate (sjib rates)
Also FMP offering fully qualified joiners work as labourers working 7am-7pm mon-fri and 7am - 5pm sat for £360p/w which works out roughly what.... £5p/h?! now that is a joke and is pretty disgusting.
Then last year taking hard working decent people on job seekers allowance on a placement making them work 60hours a week for an extra 10er on top of their j.s.a what a despicable thing to do and very un-ethical yet it's allowed to happen. why is that? is there money passing hands some where behind the scenes?
When pouring the concrete founds for the nicholson in well below freezing conditions (an unsafe thing to do) when challenged by the council's clark of works they would not allow him on to the site. whats that all about?
Then you have the leaking school in point. The wiring in the school in tarbert which is against the requirements for electrical installations (BS7671) where data cable is being run along side main power cables BS7671 528-01-01 and 528-01-02. Are they allowed to do this because there not part of GB or what?
What is really going on here? so many questions............. no realistic sensible answers.
WYVIS is a sub branch of UBC
Ahhh Wayne Rooney, a great example.
Paid for prostitutes while his wife was carrying his baby.....yeah, a very talented individual.
12:56 AM, a para by para response:
Oh dear. Did the Comhairle get a discount as the work as undertaken by untrained and unqualified staff?And I bet the fully qualified stone masons, who spent years doing their apprenticeships, are raging at such people stealing the food from their mouths and the mouths of their chidren! You have shot your argument in the foot!
Another country?! Thats almost racist. Last time I checked Northern Ireland was also part of the UK.....
Not true
Not true
Job seekers a Government thing but however, its not uncommon for people not to turn up or leave within a day or two of their own accord as they do not like the idea of 'working for a living'....ho hum
Not true
Not true
There you go, realistic sensible answers.
@ 8.46pm-para by para response
I think you'll find that it was carried out by qualified tradesmen. Sorry it annoys that the contract for the town hall was kept local...... what a shame.
Well I don't see how that saying another country is being racist..... Well I know when I was in geography we were taught that although we are part of the united kingdom Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland were each different countries with in the union so......
Hmmmmm not true, heck of an answer see you have nothing to corroborated that. Where as I can assure that this is fact.
Also I can assure that the next statement is 100% true...... you have no facts supporting your answer.... surprise surprise.
Ha ha beginning to think you may actually be part of the contractors or the twisted mob that gave them the contract. I also have facts supporting this version of modern day slavery I also know of people who took part in this sham.... oops sorry i do apologise I meant to say scheme, and these hard working tradesmen...... yes tradesmen (paid of through NO fault of their own) that were told if they did not comply they would lose benefits which they couldn't afford to do as they have families to feed.....
Another surprise "not true" facts to back this possible? Ummmmm...... didn't think so because yet again it is TRUE.
O man "not true" again...... yawn.... no facts either.... well point school is leaking and the wiring in tarbert IS against regulations..... yes again it is another true statement. All the same Thanks for responding.
Oidhche mhath.
Yes yes a brickie is a qualified tradesman but not a stone mason. Afterall you wouldn't have nurses undertake open heart surgery because they are also medical professionals would you?? The fact remains the masons came from Inverness for the Town Hall.
The assertion on the concrete is utter rubbish on several levels - why is it unsafe exactly? And also that the Comahirle's Clerk of Works were refused access to the site. The Council doesnt have any working directly on the sites.
The rest of the diatribe is equally full of holes.....
just like point school roof!!! yes!!! or were we just imagining these workers on the roof in the rain with silicone guns.
These guys were pouring at minus 12, you cant seriously tell me that is acceptable, if you are telling me thats ok you obviously work for cnes and are one of the guys walking round with pockets full of irish notes.
You are misinformed.
Don't believe everything you are told or assume that you understand why a certain activity appears to be taking place, particulary if you have no understanding of the project or technical expertise in relation to the subject matter.
I am deeply saddened by the vitriol, resentment and bitterness which is openly expressed in this and other media.
There is a significant amount of rumour, heresay and spurious commentary in realtion to the WISP that while not only being factually incorrect (ie, the concrete), also does a complete disservice to the many hundreds of professionals, both local and otherwise, who have invested significant time and effort in delivering the schools on programme, on budget and to the required standards.
To date, over 70 local suppliers and sub-contractors have directly participated in the construction of the schools project, not including those who have benefitted indirectly for such things as accommodation, fuel and other sundry items.
Finally, spare a thought for the many individuals who are simply trying to earn an honest living the best way they know how during an extremely torrid time in the construction industry.
12.56 & 8 .08
In regards to concrete being used at sub zero temperatures
I can also confirm that this was the norm in the run up to the Christmas Break last year ( 2010 )
If it is normal to pour concrete at these temps why then were all delivery notes from Bardons stamped with a warning in bold RED print that Bardons could not guarantee or accept responsibility that the concrete would achieve temp of plus 5 degrees because of the low air temp
not a problem. never was. old news. next...
6:18pm
That's what all the FMP chiefs will be chanting as they ride off into the sunset on their private jets whilst our "new" schools barely stand, leaking and falling down.....
7:44 PM
They say ignorance is bliss, but quite clearly it's on public display as well
on the bright side the maintenance company on our 6 new wendy houses and eventually the castle will make a bloody fortune.
letting these cowboys loose on our castle is a sin.
looking at this post and others to do with tenders in the western isles utterly astounds me, how your local council can allow this to happen when they can see the state of the local economy is beyond me. Procurement laws my eye, get real. My suggestion would be to strip your councilors of their annual salaries, make it voluntary put them on expenses only and watch them run, you won't see the majority for dust. you would then be left the ones that actually care about what happens here (which would be around 5 percent in my opinion) allowing fresh blood to go forward and help your island out of this recession which to me your local council is prolonging. this is a proven way to help. looks like you need a major shake up here!
the only cowboys are the ones which live here permanently. So go round up your herd (of sheep)
Interesting development in the local rag yesterday, the council are now denying the rumors that FMP have the castle. Whats going on?
FMP never bid for the castle. Are the Comhairle not simply saying that the contract has yet to be awarded?
Good to see 11.35 finally showing his real colours
Even although you are not allowed to show them within one of their sites
They came across here and dictated that football colours should not be displayed by anyone who worked on the sites
They forgot that they were in Scotland where different supporters can work together and get on normally
My sources tell me Patons are going to be awarded the Lewis Castle contract a week on Monday. Apparently the council needed a week extension to the 90 days it has to approve the winning tender - they just to make sure that awarding the work to Patons would damage the local economy and maximize pay-offs with the Islands builders.
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