Len Duvall, AM
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Appendix 10 Len Duvall, AM City Hall The Queen’s Walk London SE1 2AA Switchboard: 020 7983 4000 Minicom: 020 7983 4458 Mr Mike Brown Web: www.london.gov.uk Transport Commissioner Date: 24th November 2015 Transport for London By email Dear Mike The Garden Bridge is clearly a project of significant public interest with many passionately held views on both sides. Whatever ones view on the project, the fact that to date £60m of public money has been pledged either as grant or loans, and millions more in operating costs underwritten, means it is imperative that any concerns are addressed fully and transparently. This is particularly the case when these concerns relate to the integrity of the procurement and commissioning process. As Chair of the GLA’s Oversight Committee I am acutely aware of the controversies surrounding the Garden Bridge, and the shortcomings of process my Committee has already identified. Whilst on this occasion I do not write on behalf of the Committee as a whole I believe there is cross-party support for greater transparency from the GLA’s functional bodies, particularly around capital projects like the Garden Bridge. I note with concern the apparent admission that neither the GLA nor TfL hold records of key meetings throughout the Garden Bridge procurement process. In particular the fact that FoIs by the Architects Journal have revealed no records are held of a key meeting in early 2013 on the subject of the Garden Bridge/Temple to South Bank footbridge involving Mayor Boris Johnson, TfL’s commissioner and TfL’s managing director of planning. Either notes of this meeting are being intentionally withheld or the record keeping of such a high level meeting was clearly not up to scratch, either scenario raises serious questions. I would appreciate an explanation of how this situation was allowed to occur as well as confirmation that these records definitely do not exist. On this basis I have been made aware of a number of outstanding requests for information including FoI 1352-1516 requesting the following: - All written materials/telephone conversations sent or made by TfL on 8th Feb 2013 including the design brief to the three individual bidders for the Garden Direct telephone: Fax: 020 7983 5880/5564 Email: london.gov.uk Bridge/Temple to South Bank footbridge concept design ahead of the formal release of the ITT on 13 Feb 2013. - The email sent by TfL to Thomas Heatherwick Studio on 26th Feb 2013 requesting clarification on the rates within the firm’s bid for the Garden Bridge/Thames Footbridge concept design tender. Please also send me any reply from Thomas Heatherwick Studio whether this is in the form of a letter, email, note or telephone call. - The email exchange which took place on 8th March 2013 between TfL Planning and TfL Commercial on the subject of the technical and commercial evaluations of the three bids for the Garden Bridge/Thames footbridge design concept tender. - All written/telephone/minuted instructions made to TfL on the subject of the Garden Bridge/Thames Footbridge from Mayor Boris Johnson or any of his deputy mayors in the time period covering the last six months of 2012 and the first six months of 2013. TfL has acknowledged that this information is held by them but stated that it is minded not to release the information as it may not be in the public interest. On the basis set out above I write to register my profound disagreement with the suggestion that releasing this information is not in the public interest. I would strongly urge you to reconsider this stance and to release this information to allow for a full and transparent understanding of the decision process which led to the committal of such vast sums of public money. Len Duvall AM Greenwich and Lewisham Leader of the GLA Labour Group - 2 - Len Duvall AM, Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee City Hall The Queen’s Walk London SE1 2AA Switchboard: 020 7983 4000 Mike Brown MVO Minicom: 020 7983 4458 Commissioner for Transport Web: www.london.gov.uk Transport for London Windsor House 42-50 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0TL 29 December 2015 Dear Mr Brown GLA Oversight Committee – 17 December 2015 – Garden Bridge Design Procurement On behalf of the GLA Oversight Committee, I would like to thank you and your colleague, Mr De Cani, for attending the Committee’s meeting on 17 December 2015. For information, please note that we have written to the Chairman, seeking the following additional information arising from the discussion at the meeting: Minutes or notes of any meetings between representatives of TfL and Heatherwick Studio in the period before the tender was released; Notes, minutes and details of attendees at any meetings held in the United States of America in relation to sponsorship of the Garden Bridge; Notes, minutes and details of attendees at the meeting about the Garden Bridge held on 23 May 2013 at Swire House, 59 Buckingham Gate; Examples of where, during previous TfL procurement processes, bids submitted after the deadline have been accepted; Clarification on the audited notes concerning a meeting to “review the invoices and commercials relating to the two contracts Garden Bridge audit 1563”, specifically on the issue of who scored during the commercial day rate analysis. Details of the Board-level processes for reviewing and monitoring major procurement decisions; and A copy of the email sent to the three firms involved in the bidding process, advising them in advance that the procurement was about to start. Yours sincerely Len Duvall AM Chair of the GLA Oversight Committee Contact: John Barry, Principal Committee Manager, City Hall, Queen’s Walk, London SE1 2AA london.gov.uk Hill Lee From: De Cani Richard (CORP) Sent: 08 February 2013 17:14 To: Melissa Osborne Subject: FW: Study Attachments: Professional Appointment for Design Services.doc; Central London Footbridge Study Brief TfL.doc Melissa TfL is planning to commission a design study into the potential for a new footbridge in central London – brief attached. I am sending this tender out to a small number of consultants. This will be issued formally to you next week but I wanted to send it informally in advance so you were aware it was coming. I would be grateful if you could pass this to Thomas. Many thanks Richard de Cani 1 Hill Lee From: De Cani Richard (CORP) Sent: 08 February 2013 17:10 To: MarksBarfield.com Subject: Study Attachments: Professional Appointment for Design Services.doc; Central London Footbridge Study Brief TfL.doc David TfL is planning to commission a design study into the potential for a new footbridge in central London – brief attached. I am sending this tender out to a small number of consultants. This will be issued formally to you next week but I wanted to send it informally in advance so you were aware it was coming. Many thanks Richard de Cani 1 Hill Lee From: De Cani Richard (CORP) Sent: 08 February 2013 17:12 To: wilkinsoneyre.com Subject: FW: Study Attachments: Professional Appointment for Design Services.doc; Central London Footbridge Study Brief TfL.doc Oliver TfL is planning to commission a design study into the potential for a new footbridge in central London – brief attached. I am sending this tender out to a small number of consultants. This will be issued formally to you next week but I wanted to send it informally in advance so you were aware it was coming. Many thanks Richard de Cani 1 I 30 t ErcEsTER S0UARE ! t0ltD0lt wczH 7LA T 0207766 6973 t W [BC.Cfl.UK y L c @tBc tEADtlt0 BRtIAtlt's c0f{uEBsATt0il 18th Feb 20r.6 Dear Mike, Thank you for your letter about LBC's coverage of the Garden Bridge I understand my team has been in touch with your colleagues at TFL to respond to the specific concerns in your email and to discuss the action we have taken. LBC has corrected and clarified the story on-air. I look forward to working constructively together in the future. Yours sincerely, James Rea Managing Editor, LBC Group Head of News, Global Pod ol Globol, fhe Medio & Enìsrloinmenl Group LBC Rodio Lld. Reg¡slered Office: 30 Leicester Squore, London WC2H 7LA Regislered in Englond & Woles Nd.3143ó23 Chair of the London Assembly City Hall The Queen’s Walk More London London SE1 2AA Telephone: 020 7983 4000 Web: www.london.gov.uk Jennette Arnold OBE AM Member for North East London 16 March 2016 Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest Mike Brown MVO Commissioner, Transport for London Transport for London Windsor House 42-50 Victoria Street London, SW1H 0TL Dear Mike, London Assembly (Plenary) 10 February 2016 Thank you for your letter of 4 March following your attendance at the London Assembly Plenary meeting on 10 February, and for providing the additional information requested by the Assembly. I acknowledge the concerns you have raised in respect to comments made during the meeting regarding the Garden Bridge, and I am sorry that you felt they were in any way personal or intended to impugn the integrity of Mr de Cani. I would like to reassure you that the London Assembly holds the officers of Transport for London, and indeed the whole GLA family, in highest regard and with the utmost respect for their hard work. However, as you have acknowledged, it is also the right and the duty of the Assembly to hold the Mayor and the functional bodies to account, which it has always sought to do in the spirit of constructive challenge. Furthermore, it is sometimes the case that Members are obliged to raise awkward issues, precisely in order to receive the responses and clarifications for the public record; leaving matters unsaid/unasked can, on occasion, lead to a greater level of untoward speculation than is the case when a Member puts the question and the respondent addresses the concerns.