Preston Library Community Hub launches New Year of activity

The redoubtable Preston Library campaigners are battling on as the campaign for their library enters its fourth year.  They and campaigners from the other libraries deserve congratulations for the many varied and creative ways they have continued to fight.

This message was sent to Preston Library supporters:

First of all, can I wish you a very, very happy new year, and thank you for your continuing support. This week sees the third anniversary of the campaign to save Preston Library. The fact that the campaign - here, and in Barham Park, Cricklewood and Kensal Rise - is moving into its fourth year is a testament both to the vital importance of local public libraries and to the hard work of a very remarkable group of people. Please continue to do whatever you can to support the campaign in 2014.

We are fortunate in one respect - the Preston Library building is still in public hands, and is likely to be vacated by Preston Park School at some time in the next eighteen months. As most of you will know, there will be local elections in all London boroughs on May 22, and candidates will be seeking your votes. Please continue to tell candidates and councillors what the loss of the libraries has meant to our communities, and ask them to work with us to restore our public library in Carlton Avenue East.

The next pub quiz - our main source of income - is at 7.30 on Monday 27 January in The Preston, 161 Preston Road HA9 8NG. As usual the quiz will start promptly at 8. This seems as good a moment as any to thank all the people who have helped make these quizzes such a success - Michael, Mel, Dan, the staff of The Preston, but especially Frances, Karen, Deborah, Shelagh and Vanita, who have written the quizzes for us. Without them these events wouldn't be possible. I hope lots of you will come on the 27th.

Our Monday afternoon Community Hub events in the library building will restart on 13 January  These include English classes for those who do not have English as their first language, a creative writing group, and Scrabble. Refreshments are available. These are still early days - anyone who can offer help, or who has ideas for other activities will be very welcome. There are more details on the website.

www.brentlibraries.wordpress.com 

Those pesky Preston people won't give up - get behind them!

Procurement errors lead to school expansion delays

Modular building from Elliott's website

As Brent Council Executive is set to discuss further school expansions this evening, it has become clear that current expansions at Mitchell Brook, Fryent and Barham primary schools will not be completed by the forecast date.

The delay appears to have been caused by problems in the preparation of the original bid documents according to the report by Richard Barrett, Assistant Director of  Regeneration and Major Projects, that recommends Andy Donald, awards the contract.  Normally contracts of this value require approval by the Executive but they delegated this authority to Andy Donald, Director of Regeneration and Major Projects at their April 2012 meeting.

On receipt of bids and initial evaluation, it was determined that there were some areas of ambiguity in the Council’s bid documents which had led the different bidders to interpret the Council’s requirements in different ways. As a result, the decision was taken to retender the pricing element only to ensure that all the prices were submitted for exactly the same requirements. Unfortunately when these further tenders were received and clarified, all of the bids were unsuitable, either because of being too high or because or qualifications to the requirement to accept the Council’s contractual terms. This led to a further process of further process of clarifying contractual terms around design risk and giving the opportunity to reprice.

The contract will be awarded to Elliott Group Ltd  with a value of £3.1m for Barham Primary, £4.4m for Fryent Primary and £2.7m for Mitchell Brook Primary. All with a start date of August 22nd.  Because of the time constraints it was decided to use a modular steel framed building system for all three schools which themselves vary greatly in their architecture. 

Barrett argues that despite the delay the timings will still allow for pupils to start in September 2013. However this assumes that all goes according to plan, which has not always been the case with the expansion programme.  Even a July 2013 completion date is challenging for schools in terms of setting up new classrooms with the potential for that work having to be carried out during the summer holiday.