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SALFORD CITY COUNCIL SACKS URBAN VISION
 

Star date: 24th May 2018

SALFORD COUNCIL ENDS CONTROVERSIAL URBAN VISION CONTRACT

Salford Council is to end its controversial contract with joint venture company Urban Vision, after years of accusations that the company was grossly profiteering from public money projects.

Salford Council has a 19.9% stake in Urban Vision but up until recently never even got a dividend from the profits. The Council is set to end the 'joint venture' when the current contract runs out in 2020.

Full details here...


Salford City Council is to finally end its relationship with Urban Vision when the current contract runs out in 2020, and is to bring the services back in-house.

Urban Vision is a joint venture company, set up in 2005, in which the Council holds a 19.9% stake, with Galliford Try Infrastructure holding 30% and Capita Property and Infrastructure holding a 50.1% stake. The company, which has an exclusivity clause with the Council, deals with planning, highways and building control services, and its current contract is worth around £90million.

Urban Vision's latest printed accounts (up to December 2016) show that it made a gross profit of £8.9million, an operating profit of £1.2million and has assets of £4.4million.

Up until a new contract with Urban Vision was signed controversially and in secret by former City Mayor, Ian Stewart, in 2016 the Council was paying a £10million 'management fee' to the company, while receiving no dividends, despite holding a 19.9% stake. The Salford Star revealed last June that the Council was finally looking to ditch the company (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

Salford City Council stated this week that it "has shared plans to bring property; highways and infrastructure; and planning and building control services back in-house after the contract with Urban Vision finishes at the end of January 2020. The council will be working with partners Capita and Galliford Try to ensure a smooth transition, continuing the delivery of existing programmes of works."

A further statement from Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, explained: "Bringing the work in-house will maximise social value for the city, generating employment and training opportunities and benefiting local businesses through their supply chain activity.

"We would like to reassure businesses and residents that work will continue on all programmes managed by Urban Vision and we have started work for a seamless transition back to the council" he added "There will be new opportunities for Urban Vision employees and we will ensure that individuals are provided time and support to have early discussions about their personal circumstances."

Over the years, Urban Vision has been accused of profiteering from public works as the company, which has exclusivity on all high value contracts, gets a percentage of the total fee; so the bigger the contract price, the bigger its fee.

Salford Star research has shown that Urban Vision's costs for schemes can be double what other councils charge for similar work (see previous Salford Star article – click here).

Next week Salford Council is set to rubber stamp the outline for a £15.5million traffic scheme on Trafford Road (made up of £10.5million Growth Deal 3 funding and £4.5million Council match funding), for which Urban Vision will be paid £880,000 just for producing the 'business case and design work'.

"I would like to personally thank everyone involved in making the partnership a huge success, providing quality services and vital stability" said the City Mayor in his statement this week.

Mr M Dawson wrote
at 08:48:31 on 03 September 2018
Councils outsourcing Services is NOT working. Urban Vision has been sacked by Salford Council. I have complained to Trafford Council about inferior work done by Amey in Cemetaries to maintain standards. Maybe it time for Councils to take back control by themselves rather than giving private companies monies for profit
?
Terry Burnett wrote
at 06:55:11 on 07 July 2018
So Urban Vision is accused of profiteering! At least the Salford Mayor has not distanced himself by personally thanking all those involved in providing a substandard service at huge expense to the CT payer. Bearing in mind Salford Council in absolving themselves of responsibility for services and roads agreed to the contract..you could not make it up. I tried many times to address the condition of roads in Eccles and at one time drove an Urban Vision + Highways manager around the town to demonstrate the dangerous condition of Eccles highways; the complexity of dealing with the council their ridiculous reporting website, Urban Vision, the City Director, and inept local MP caused me to give up. Perhaps now we can target those with responsibility. Eccles ripped off by a Rotten Borough...Salford Council I really tried to do something on my own for the good CT payers Of Eccles, Cyclist, Motorists and pedestrians it was rather like trying to cut the head off a snake! "I would like to personally thank everyone involved in making the partnership a huge success, providing quality services and vital stability" said the City Mayor in his statement this week.
?
Arnold Rimmer wrote
at 19:54:05 on 01 June 2018
May not even last until 2020 based on Capita's current share price. Councils are trying to distance themselves from Capita now, after finally realising that privatisation never works.
?
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