For Suffolk County Council to develop an in-house bid for Suffolk Highways maintenance

Comments

#206

Something needs to be done!

Amanda Olle (Red lodge, 2022-05-08)

#209

It’s getting desperate!

Jill Thomas (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-08)

#212

I don't want to keep financing Kier shareholders and believe that Suffolk County Council's needs can best be realised by an inhouse maintenance team especially with respect to alignment with the Council's Climate Emergency Plan.

Jane Healey (Woodbridge, 2022-05-08)

#213

The council what we need and how to do the work effectively

Martin Waters (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#216

County council resources are severely stretched .It is vital that all work carried out for the council is of high standard and offers good value for money to the county's citizens. Only by having a thorough tendering process, which involves a bid from the County Council , can our interests be protected

Sarah Butt (Beccles, 2022-05-08)

#217

SCC Highways have really let us down in Grundisburgh. Change is desperately needed.

Rupert Herries (Grundisburgh, 2022-05-08)

#218

Use local independent tradesmen and stop wasting our money

Deborah Dunlop (Ipswich, 2022-05-08)

#220

These issues should be brought back in house, better value and skill set.

Aubrey Jones (Halesworth, 2022-05-08)

#221

I am signing because I truly think the time has come to have a better look at how Highways works are undertaken and costed. I feel the current system of sub contracting work is such an expensive cost to Suffolk tax payers

Annette Dunning (Halesworth, 2022-05-08)

#224

Kier have not performed well and it’s always going to be more efficient for SCC to manage and provide the service

Ian Lea (Woodbridge, 2022-05-08)

#227

I believe in keep services in the public sector rather than privatisation

RACHEL HAMMOND (Lowestoft, 2022-05-08)

#230

The infrastructure we have in place at the moment is out of control it is about time the council took back some control

Christopher Nunn (Mildenhall, 2022-05-08)

#231

Taking back control

Geoffrey Webb (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-08)

#233

It’s a disgrace

Michael Blackmore (Sudbury, 2022-05-08)

#234

The roads for which Suffolk County Council are responsible are deteriorating rapidly and the use of outsourcing at lowest cost results in poor quality work for which no-one seems to be responsible, and in the longer term additional costs.

Michael Miller (Brantham, 2022-05-08)

#236

It is time that contracting out risk should be reviewed.
There are better ways of doing this.
The current way is lazy and easy but comes at a cost.

Simon Frampton (Halesworth, 2022-05-09)

#237

My garden is blighted by trees which have never been maintained by Highways with roots running several metres, overcrowding of species and brambles growing in the canopy. No wonder if the cost to the council is so high.

Andrea Russell (Beccles, 2022-05-09)

#244

This I really important! I am generally in favour of council’s managing their infrastructure and other large projects, as there is no profit element, so the budget goes further. I also believe that employing people direct enables the council to ensure appropriate working conditions.

Kim Hoare (Halesworth IP198RN, 2022-05-09)

#247

The roads are a disgusting a disgraceful

Kaz Price (Stowmarket, 2022-05-09)

#248

Public works should be publicly provided. There is no place for private companies who always put profit before people.

Anthony Dooley (Ipswich, 2022-05-09)

#249

I have witnessed the ridiculous costs first hand this is a brilliant idea

Crouch Jill (Eye, 2022-05-09)

#250

My council tax is £164 pcm and i am on a low income/self employed. Our local roads are in appalling condition- being very rural i dont expect state of the art road surfaces but to be aware of the money we have been giving to Kier is pretty galling. It is not appropriate for a private company to be capitalising on a vital public service such as this. They have had the contract for 10 years but do not appear to be delivering value for money. I would prefer for our local elected representatives to control these jobs and give them to local contractors.

Alice Whitney (Bramfield, 2022-05-09)

#251

Like those who drafted the petition I would like to see Suffolk County Council prepare a fully costed in-house bid for highway maintenance and thus have a fair and level playing field when the contract is put out for tender. Kier, quite clearly, have overstepped a line by charging such prices.

Lizzi Thistlethwayte (harleston, 2022-05-09)

#252

In house is better as quality control is first hand and it has to be cheaper because there is no profit element. Take back control.

Daphne May (Halesworth, 2022-05-09)

#254

It's time we started saving money and not letting tax payers being robbed

Hazel Greenstiles (Halesworth, 2022-05-09)

#258

I want the best deal for Suffolk.

Gary Brocklehurst (Brandon, 2022-05-09)

#261

It seems a huge waste of money to get this Keir firm do the work

Penny Walker (Kessingland, 2022-05-09)

#264

I am outraged my money is being used so frivolously and clealy irresponsibly by the very people I have to trust to spend it cautiously & wisely, for the good of my community, NOT to make private company directors rich!

Amanda May (Beccles, 2022-05-09)

#267

Local government spending should be prudent and accountable.

Richard Walden (Beccles, 2022-05-09)

#269

Public money (our money) should be spent, mindful of where and who it comes from and for the benefit of whom? Certainly not a faceless unaccountable large business. We expect value for our money, now even more so than ever! Should we as citizens set our taxes payable to the council for ten years and pay a ridiculous low amount. Don't think that would go down well with the authorities would it? This would end with citizens in court and prison for a crime. So why should we accept criminal prices for public works and those who authorise this?! Too easy to spend other peoples money without proper accountability isn't it...

Howard Fuller (Brandon, 2022-05-09)

#270

The roads in Suffolk are atrocious, especially if you’re a cyclist and it’s time the Council took back control of road maintenance

Sally Barley (Eye, 2022-05-09)

#272

Kier maintenance is a joke and there estimates are even more so.

Kevin Chittock (Occold Eye, 2022-05-09)

#275

The current highway repair and new infrastructure system is not fit for purpose

Francis Hart (Stanton, 2022-05-09)

#276

As a parish councillor I have experience of Kier’s obscene prices.

Dave Griffiths (Occold, 2022-05-09)

#277

I am signing because I can see the standards and maintenance of signage, pavements and repair of potholes has declined over the last few years. Please don’t blame Covid! The council need to take back control of highway maintenance and cease paying such ridiculous amounts to outsourced companies.

Anne Cheason (Stanton Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-09)

#280

The road repairs are a joke

Nigel Earle (Newmarket, 2022-05-10)

#282

All public work should be carried out to highest possible standard at most cost efficient prices. Public money must be sent carefully and wisely.

Barry SPENCER (Brandon, 2022-05-10)

#285

Contractors are wreaking havoc throughout Suffolk by uncoordinated road works. Somebody needs to control the chaos we are enduring.

John Balaam (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-10)

#287

All avenues should be investigated with regards to public spending.

Michael Dickson (Wattisfield, 2022-05-10)

#288

Lack of action on replacing missing cycle direction signs for the National Cycle Network.
Failure to transfer existing signs to new lamp posts, etc., This is wasteful and expensive to prepare new signs, if they are ever replaced!!

STEPHEN READ (IPSWICH, 2022-05-10)

#290

outsourcing is never cheaper, always results in poor value for money and is a plain stupid idea

Stewart Whitehill (barrow, 2022-05-10)

#291

It should be in-house if it will cut costs, then perhaps the pot holes can be addressed in the very near future!!

Barbara Taylor (bury St edmunds, 2022-05-10)

#293

Suffolk Highways are useless. We have a major speeding problem in Finningham and have tried for 5 years to get Highways to help but they won't. A simple painted mini roundabout for example would apparently cost tens of thousands and changing the speed limit coming into the village is not cost effective

Andrew Brownlie (Finningham, 2022-05-10)

#298

The roads and highways in Stowmarket in particular are not fit for purpose. As a mother with a now young toddler, I spent a lot of my maternity leave walking around the town, only to be greeted by pot holes and uneven and impassable pavements. I reported issues to highways about overgrown stinging nettles that my baby son stung his hands on, and all they did was send someone to look at the nettles rather than deal with the problem, then say they didn’t have any money to cut them back..how much did they charge to look at them? They could have easily bought a strimmer and cut them back in less time than it took to reply to say they’ve looked. The pavements along Gipping Way were also heavily overgrown which meant I had to take my baby in his pram into the 40mph trunk road and avoid cars as I wasn’t able to pass the obstructions. Again this wasn’t dealt with until the winter despite multiple complaints from local residents. The same potholes have been ‘fixed’ about 10 times, the workmanship is shoddy and it sounds like it’s a massive money making scheme for the contractor, I’m truly shocked by the prices they are charging! There are also way too many cars parked on residential roads across the county - if the cost of a drop curb wasn’t so extortionate people might be able to afford to convert their front gardens into driveways to get cars off the roads! The council need to take back control and make Suffolk safe again! You only have to cross the border into Norfolk and Essex to see how bad Suffolk’s roads are. Everyone should be able to enjoy using the roads and pavements.

Vicki Phillips (Stowmarket, 2022-05-10)

#300

I’m annoyed that the tax payer is having to pay profits to companies when could be done less expensively in-house.

john james (Woodbridge, 2022-05-10)

#301

I’m signing because I wish to see fair competition to include our own county council’s team in tendering for highways maintenance.

William Mackintosh (Ipswich, 2022-05-10)

#304

Privatising Highways maintenance results in poor, unresponsive service.

Deborah Saw (New york, 2022-05-10)

#305

Public rights of way should be maintained by public bodies, not private companies.

Nicky Elliott (Beccles, 2022-05-10)

#309

It makes no economic sense to outsource essential maintenance work to profit privately owned companies. It will also create jobs for people in Suffolk

Duncan Russell (Newmarket, 2022-05-11)

#310

Outsourcing of core functions of the organisation is never a good idea !

John Bryant (Ipswich, 2022-05-11)

#311

It sounds like the council would rather waste money than take responsibility. Outsourcing is no longer efficient or effective.

Mark Atherton (Bury St Edmunds, 2022-05-11)

#312

Spending loads of money fir a poor job,

Michael Brabrook (Bury St. Edmunds, 2022-05-11)

#317

I'm signing the petition because the amount we are spending for this service is scandalous. Bringing this contract internally would save the tax payer thousands of pounds. Being in the trade I understand the price of these jobs. The profit margin is ridiculous

Steven Carter (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#320

Why pay a contractor to do the work to make profit to pay their shareholders dividends!! Here is a silly idea the savings made could be used towards reducing council costs instead!

Must be the worst business model going paying a contract manager to control contractor to do work which uses the same resources and labour with its own management treat to control with all the overheads involved. Which intern makes a profit for the shareholders!
The council could employ its on management team resources and labour with a saving in Human Resources as council already has a human resource department etc which could be utilised. Any reduction in cost would be a saving to council un in turn release more money for council budgets!!!

Chris Davey (Stowmarket, 2022-05-11)

#322

The outsourced costs to a private infrastructure maintenance corporation are clearly outrageously high! SCC need to think again about how they use their limited budgets, take the works back inhouse!

Rebecca Hills (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#323

The costings from the current external operator is mind blowing!

Sharon Buckler (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#324

I care about the future of Sudbury the town I live in

Jacqueline Masters (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#326

I believe ratepayers could get far better value for money by allowing an In house highways tender.

Paul Marshall (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#327

Disgraceful waste of money

Siobhan Smith (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#328

This ridiculous amount of money could be much better spent on other areas - this is literally an in reasonable amount of cash to be spent on a piece of work which blatantly won’t cost that much - just makes me think yet again on how local money is ill spent

Gemma Duncan (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#334

It's just too expensive to sort highway issues out.

Nigel Bennett (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#335

Once the outsourcing contract for road maintenance in Sudbury (Suffolk County Council area) ends we need to bring those services back in house and avoid paying the extortionate fees currently charged by the encumbant outsourcing company. It's a joke!

Karl Barber (Sudbury, 2022-05-11)

#336

Give constituents better value for money

Austin Davies (Bury st Edmund, 2022-05-11)

#338

I think this issue is very important

Marion Gaze (Halesworth, 2022-05-11)

#339

I’m signing because I have experienced other contracted out disasters. Due diligence is required.

John Smith (Long Melford, 2022-05-11)

#343

Paying profits to private companies without fair competitive tendering is not responsible use of our (taxpayer) money. Thank you to the Green, LibDem Parties and Independents for trying to make the process properly accountable.

Nicholas Thomas (Beccles, 2022-05-11)

#352

Suffolk County Council is duty bound to obtain services at the best possible value to ensure proper use of Council Taxpayers' money.

Edward Jackson (Brantham, 2022-05-12)

#355

The costs are ridiculous - I live in Sudbury, home of one the most expensive road humps ever, and wouldn’t want money wasted like that again.

Angie Bentley (Sudbury, 2022-05-12)

#356

I believe that "in house" maintenance will give better service at a competitive price. We need a work foreman who can decide on the spot whether to repair another pothole just a metre away, rather than leaving it to deteriorate further and will mean another site visit.

Tony Gould (Ipswich, 2022-05-12)

#359

The outsourcing of Suffolk's highways work has not delivered the competitive costs and speed of response promised. Cost of all but standard repairs is high and tasks take an age, years for double yellow lines for instance.

John Field (Ipswich, 2022-05-12)

#360

Double yellow lines have been agreed for my estate

David Owen-Bell (Sudbury, 2022-05-12)

#362

Maintaining cosy relationships between the council and their suppliers erodes the money left to provide for local people and reduces opportunities to consider and reflect on priorities and processes

Sara Knight (Sudbury, 2022-05-12)

#363

We need to properly compare any advantages both economic and otherwise of an in-house option.

Alfred Cadman (Ipswich, 2022-05-12)

#364

sick of sitting in gridlocked traffic unable to get to anywhere. Works need to be scheduled in a timely manner so they don't clash to allow traffic to flow

karen fynn (BURY ST EDMUNDS, 2022-05-12)

#366

I feel that we could get much better value for money from other contractors than Kier.

John Lyall (East Bergholt, 2022-05-12)

#369

Privatisation of council work is not a good idea.

Shirley Graham (Colchester, 2022-05-12)

#370

I do not want my Council Tax going to rip-off private companies such as this one!

Carrie Wheeler (Ipswich, 2022-05-12)

#375

In the current economic climate, public funds should be used efficiently and not to line the pockets of beaurocracy.

Sue Pugh (Sudbury, 2022-05-12)

#376

This money could be spent on repairing our disgusting roads, Education, Mental Health, or a dozen other pressing issues, not lining someone's pockets with figures that are clearly distorted and greedy. How can Babergh justify paying £7,500 to cut down one tree. Ylou should be getting three quotes from local businesses with great reputations so you can support local businesses, not put them out of business. Stop inflating the purses of already huge companies who dare to charge £10,000 to design humps in roads that have been designed at least a decade.
How does Babergh Council have the audacity to look their Constituents in the eyes, knowing this kind of crooked ness is being, not only encouraged, but actively condoned.
The savings on a real and caring Maintenance and Development Program could be used to invest in Solar Heating subsidies for people living in REAL CRISIS right now with the fuel price increases.
Shocked to my core!
Thank God someone is not only looking at this, but questioning it.

Melody Wood (Sudbury, 2022-05-12)

#377

It is always cheaper to do in-house if the council is competent in management

Dean Braunig (Hadleigh, 2022-05-12)

#381

The waste and poor value from profiteering rip-off contractors is despicable..

Nigel Fisher (Beccles, 2022-05-12)

#387

In -house is essential for good financial management.

Pinky Pitts (sudbury, suffolk, 2022-05-13)

#389

I have been appalled by the state of our highways and the inability of the council to control the standards of workmanship

William Rampling (Bury st edmunds, 2022-05-13)

#390

The prices charged are extortionate and their should be more choices.

Louise Daniels (Ipswich, 2022-05-13)

#399

The town needs tending to and maintenance is a mess.

Geraldine McEwan (Bury St Edmunda, 2022-05-14)

#400

In house projects are far better and cost effective way to maintain the road structure

Neal Rowland’s (Brantham, 2022-05-14)



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