OK ... here we go - we will be putting up a series of posts covering the timeline of the North Mill project and fusing what we knew at any particular time with what we now know was going on inside the Environment Agency, supported by original documents from our archives including Freedom of Information disclosures from The Environment Agency. The names of all the players will NOT be redacted. For the curious ... who want to jump ahead a bit perhaps - we've put a batch of scans on the main web server. We'll give our own interpretation of what the FoI docs show - but visitors are welcome to speculate in the comments (erm... within reason).
There we were - in September 2009 looking at a comprehensive refurbishment of a water mill building that had been derelict for 35+ years. We had discussed the hydro electricity aspects of the project and done our own research and decided that rather than "DIY it" - we would engage a specialist, experienced project agent with a track record and of known good standing and use equipment of proven performance from established manufacturers.
One of our agent's first actions was to ask The Environment Agency if there were any other schemes nearby.....
What on earth are EA doing these e mail are bloody damming.They new it was wrong and have gambled with our MONEY my taxes,hundreds of thousands of pounds.Has there been any redress on these people one is a solicitor.Explain what is the paper work he is changing,There is no excuse for this waste.
ReplyDeleteNo redress that we have told about they just keep pulling the salaries, they have no regard for any one except themselves. Just no accountability in the private sector they would be put out to dry.
Deletethey usually pension them of quick, or pay them more as consultants, they are all in the same club......GOOD LUCK
DeleteJust got the tweet.I am ashamed to say i work for the EA,I knew there was a problem at avoncliff but these documents are shocking.What a gamble...
ReplyDeleteYes it was a gamble they even briefed the gamble.Never mind, the ones that usually lose the jobs first are the good people on the ground in the thick of it.
DeleteCONSPIRACY and they all new it. They even briefed it. And the lawyer even recognised there was a paper trail (looks like you shot your own foot)you wrote all this down. BIZARRE. Tony Bristol
ReplyDeleteThe e mails are only part of it. Some will have a permanent limp. Keep watching more to be posted
DeleteWOW? somebody will not be happy.
ReplyDeleteWhat a manipulation off process, i have never seen anything so deliberate. I would shut the whole department down and start afresh. What are the bosses doing! some of them are earning more than the Prime Minister. How can that be right, this is our taxes and the sums they are earning is on a public website.
ReplyDeleteIt would appear to me that if they think they are a law unto themselves a bit like HMRC criminals
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financial-crime/9716421/How-one-family-were-brought-to-their-knees-by-the-taxman.html
They think they can bully, lie, be biased, prejudiced, threaten, victimise and do it all at the taxpayers expense with no fear of comeback, loss of job or loss of pension. Usually the bad ones get moved up or sideways promoted. At worst they become a consultant on more money.
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DeleteOne distressing thing is that I am paying for this mess and I won't get an index linked pension. I have noted over the years that the average civil servant has no concept of the money they spend. For example the EA put in rest rooms at a number of Locks on the River Thames. The rest room consists of a cloakroom with shower (boaters can pay to use the shower). I have been in one and it was better than my bathroom. The restroom area had a small kitchenette including kettle and microwave, table and chairs. The whole thing is like a large shed. Yes nice and cheap at £108,000 more than a 3 bedroom semi in Doncaster.
ReplyDeleteOther people's money is of course the easiest to spend. We reckon this mess is going to cost about 10 EA toilets by the time it's settled.
DeleteIn terms of expensive real estate (no doubt with palatial eco-toilet facilities) paid for with public funds - look no further than the EA Headquarters - Horizon House in Bristol. A "no expense spared green building" at the very top end of the commercial office market...
DeleteThe EA must be a bit embarrassed about it as given the building's green credentials including a five story high green stained glass window in one end - a veritable eco-cathederal - it doesn't figure prominently at all in their PR or web presence.
The EA's page on Horizon House
The Architects's view...
Same building??
Horizon House front looks like the alien sound-light board from Close Encounters the movie :-)
The money would have been better spent clearing ditches, brooks, and streams. Then it would have saved a lot of misery. But instead the best way to spend our money is to make themselves nice and comfy.Only the best at our expense.......
DeleteJust feathering their own nest ? I would put the perpetrators in the ditch with a shovel until retirement.
DeleteI have read through these and cannot believe that a soliciotr employed by a government department is allowed to break the law he is supposed to uphold with no consequence. I know we always laugh a jokes about honest solicitors but I did not realise the ones enforcing the law were crooks as well.
ReplyDeleteI heard someone the other day refer to the EA as the Environmental Agency. Thankfully I did not correct them as after reading this I see that they were right, environMENTAL is an apt description. Maybe they could all be put in one of those wonderful homes paid for the government for people with learning difficulties because this lot are obviously not learning.
ReplyDeleteWell i cant believe what i have just read, this is disgusting and corrupt, on a grand scale. Talk about biased and prejudiced ,the EA officers and lawyers involved new they were breaking codes of conduct if not the law.They clearly used information given to them by a member of parliment knowing people were losing their jobs and gambled with public money aswell as trying to put a company out of buisness.They should lose their jobs for this!!! NAME AND SHAME THE LOT OF THEM ????
ReplyDeleteAre we paying for these intelligent fools or are they just voluntary. I suspect its the first SACK THEM. Going on what this must have cost it would be cheaper to have them on the DOLE. No wonder the country is FU---D regards an angry man
ReplyDeleteWhat is going on here? Northmill has a huge water wheel the other mill has a tiny turbine in the basement.Its simple you give it to the mill which HISTORICALY used the most water HEY PRESTO!!! Northmill This took me about an hours reserch on the web, from reading your site its taken the EA idiots 3 years and hundreds of thousands of pounds, and they still cant decide FOOLS??? THE ROCKET SCIENTIST from Bath
ReplyDeleteWhat are climate friendly Bradford on Avon doing about it,why are they not involved. This must come under Bradford.
ReplyDelete