Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Anyway, this evening a report into the issue has been released, and the
author was being quizzed on Radio York.
Original refurb of the 1970's shower room was budgeted at about 6K.
Poor project management is being blamed for costs quadrupling, looks the
like the Police Estates Dept will be carrying the can on this.

Sounds like of couple of ill-considered decisions were made without
examining the implications.
1) Re-arrange the fittings the room - result soil stack had to be moved.
2) Specifying a mixer valve for the shower rather than the previous
instantaneous electric one - result installation of a complete new hot
water feed system. (To be fair, the CC had received an electric shock in
the room apparently)

Couple of other unexpected things, removing some tiles revealed another
layer of tiles, which had to be removed, which then required
replastering - but it's a listed building so special plaster /
techniques had to be used.

Well I'm going to ask if I can pop in a pee next time I'm passing - my
council tax has paid for it!
--
steve

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000 someone who may be Steven Briggs
wrote this:-

Anyway, this evening a report into the issue has been released, and the
author was being quizzed on Radio York.
Original refurb of the 1970's shower room was budgeted at about 6K.
Poor project management is being blamed for costs quadrupling, looks the
like the Police Estates Dept will be carrying the can on this.

That's usually the case. The customer asks for something to be done,
they are told it will be expensive, they say to do it all the same
and then they duck when the costs of their actions come in.

Sounds like of couple of ill-considered decisions were made without
examining the implications.
1) Re-arrange the fittings the room - result soil stack had to be moved.

Sounds possible, depending on the size of the room and the layout.
An expensive change to the project.

2) Specifying a mixer valve for the shower rather than the previous
instantaneous electric one - result installation of a complete new hot
water feed system.

Obviously. An expensive change to the project.

I hope they have taken adequate precautions against legionella.

(To be fair, the CC had received an electric shock in the room apparently)

So what? People are not being struck down every day by instantaneous
electric showers.

I still don't see why she can't use the same showers as everyone
else.



--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

"Steven Briggs" wrote in message
...
Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Anyway, this evening a report into the issue has been released, and the
author was being quizzed on Radio York.
Original refurb of the 1970's shower room was budgeted at about 6K.
Poor project management is being blamed for costs quadrupling, looks the
like the Police Estates Dept will be carrying the can on this.

Sounds like of couple of ill-considered decisions were made without
examining the implications.
1) Re-arrange the fittings the room - result soil stack had to be moved.
2) Specifying a mixer valve for the shower rather than the previous
instantaneous electric one - result installation of a complete new hot
water feed system. (To be fair, the CC had received an electric shock in
the room apparently)

Not fatal unfortunatley.

Adam

David Hansen wrote:

(To be fair, the CC had received an electric shock in the room apparently)


So what? People are not being struck down every day by instantaneous
electric showers.

I think you may be thinking of hit 'n' run motorists there...

--
Cheers,

John.

/================================================== ===============\
| Internode Ltd - http://www.internode.co.uk |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------|
| John Rumm - john(at)internode(dot)co(dot)uk |
\================================================= ================/

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice. Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

The term "ivory tower" came to mind.

In message , Steve Firth
writes
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

Erm, yeah, Thing. Its about all you _can_ say about it!

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice. Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

The term "ivory tower" came to mind.

Indeed.

Its so good to see they're carefully spending all the money raised by
doubling the Police precept a few years back (Checks council tax bills,
2002 +41.5%, 2003 +76.1%)

--
steve

In message , Steve Firth
writes
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

That's one expensive tarpaulin


Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice. Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

The term "ivory tower" came to mind.

Misuse of funds more like

--
geoff

"Steve Firth" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a
sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm,
thing.


When this constabulary are enforcing the diktat of nuLabor and harrasing
smokers, next year, will the 'architectural canopy' constitute an
'enclosure' within the meaning of the Act?
One wouldn't like to contemplate snokers stubbing out their fag-ends on the
decking and/or gravel beds.

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice.
Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

The term "ivory tower" came to mind.

According to today's 'Telegraph (it must be true) something in the order of
'Police Stations' have been closed ! Lack of resources?

--

Brian

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 21:56:20 +0000, Steve Firth
wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice. Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

Presumably similar facilities are being provided at local police
stations as well as "headquarters", so that all staff can benefit.

--
Frank Erskine

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:05:37 GMT, Brian Sharrock wrote:

According to today's 'Telegraph (it must be true) something in the order of
'Police Stations' have been closed ! Lack of resources?

Loads closed around here. We haven't had a copper in the village since the
1980s nearest police station was six miles away now that has closed. All
the coppers in the nearest market town were removed from duty and within a
few weeks the place saw a murder in the street and a series of bank/shop
robberies.

The excuse given for taking coppers away was "there had been no significant
crime in the area for a number of years." Well surprise, surprise, it looks
like those coppers may well have been doing something after all.

Meanwhile spending on police headquarters goes on unabated, this being the
place clever located next to a country park, in a magnificent country home
with its own sports complex, restaurants etc. And all within easy reach of
a nice harbour and marina with numerous upper crust restaurants. Of course
the place is in a damned inconvenient location for access and for emergency
access but it *is* handy for access to two large shopping complexes.

It's comforting to know that our money is being so well spent.

I've been to the police headquarters in question, it's very nice.
Peaceful,
located near a top notch hotel and restaurant. Miles from anywhere.

Hope you weren't "on business", as it were.

In article ,
David Hansen wrote:
So what? People are not being struck down every day by instantaneous
electric showers.

I still don't see why she can't use the same showers as everyone
else.

Perhaps she likes to get clean in a reasonable time?

--
*I didn't drive my husband crazy -- I flew him there -- it was faster

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
Steve Firth wrote:
Loads closed around here. We haven't had a copper in the village since
the 1980s nearest police station was six miles away now that has closed.
All the coppers in the nearest market town were removed from duty and
within a few weeks the place saw a murder in the street and a series of
bank/shop robberies.

Some time ago my car got damaged while parked and of course I had to
report it for the 'crime number' or whatever. I drove more than 6 miles
round London before finding a station I could do this at. Of course with
an intimate knowledge of police stations I could have gone straight to the
one which was open and isn't six miles away. But I made the mistake of
trying to use ones I'd been to before.

--
*Of course I'm against sin; I'm against anything that I'm too old to enjoy.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 10:59:08 +0000 (GMT), Dave Plowman (News) wrote:

In article ,
Steve Firth wrote:
Loads closed around here. We haven't had a copper in the village since
the 1980s nearest police station was six miles away now that has closed.
All the coppers in the nearest market town were removed from duty and
within a few weeks the place saw a murder in the street and a series of
bank/shop robberies.

Some time ago my car got damaged while parked and of course I had to
report it for the 'crime number' or whatever. I drove more than 6 miles
round London before finding a station I could do this at. Of course with
an intimate knowledge of police stations I could have gone straight to the
one which was open and isn't six miles away. But I made the mistake of
trying to use ones I'd been to before.

It's a national problem. You may recall my grumble about a fireman misusing
the blue lights on his car to overtake me. I complained to the police about
it, I wanted to complain at the nearest town (which I don't know well).
This is a sizeable place and it has a police station which I had seen open.
Indeed on the night in question it was open for business with cars arriving
and departing. But the door was locked and the only facility for the public
was a yellow telephone to one side of the door.

I went to the police station because the police tell me they don't take
telephone complaints seriously, only complaints made in person.

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steve Firth
saying something like:

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

****'s sake. 7.5 grand for that? Ok, some of that will be labour, but
really. The canopy is nothing more than a bit of tarp, a few poles and
some guy wire - about 300quid max I would think.

Of course, the designer/architect's fees on top - that would really
inflate it.
--

Dave

In article ,

****'s sake. 7.5 grand for that? Ok, some of that will be labour,
but really. The canopy is nothing more than a bit of tarp, a few
poles and some guy wire - about 300quid max I would think.

After the high winds of the last week or so
it may not be there any longer.

--
Tony Williams.

In message , Steve Firth
writes
The excuse given for taking coppers away was "there had been no significant
crime in the area for a number of years." Well surprise, surprise, it looks
like those coppers may well have been doing something after all.
How stupid, surely having police on the beat only bumps up the crime
figures as they keep on arresting people and having to record the fact.
Much better to have no police on the beat and no method of reporting
crime, then the figures would look brilliant, 100% drop in reported
crime and 100% drop in arrests!

--
Clint Sharp

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:16:49 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steve Firth
saying something like:

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

****'s sake. 7.5 grand for that? Ok, some of that will be labour, but
really. The canopy is nothing more than a bit of tarp, a few poles and
some guy wire - about 300quid max I would think.

Of course, the designer/architect's fees on top - that would really
inflate it.

Not that there should be any such fee, because the shade is a standard
off-the-peg item. In fact that particular one looks like a real rip-off,
the ones I'm used to seeing are much larger, generally mounted on 14ft
poles. Like these:

http://www.unopiu.it/scheda.asp?cate...91&modello=391

On 2006-12-13 21:02:53 +0000, Steve Firth said:

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 14:16:49 +0000, Grimly Curmudgeon wrote:

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember Steve Firth
saying something like:

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

****'s sake. 7.5 grand for that? Ok, some of that will be labour, but
really. The canopy is nothing more than a bit of tarp, a few poles and
some guy wire - about 300quid max I would think.

Of course, the designer/architect's fees on top - that would really
inflate it.

Not that there should be any such fee, because the shade is a standard
off-the-peg item. In fact that particular one looks like a real rip-off,
the ones I'm used to seeing are much larger, generally mounted on 14ft
poles. Like these:

http://www.unopiu.it/scheda.asp?cate...91&modello=391

Mmm... certainly it wasn't the canopy that had the 'grandi dimensioni'
in the Yorkshire scene.

In message , Steve Firth
writes
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 19:30:57 +0000, Steven Briggs wrote:

Some of you may remember a thread a month or two back about the Chief
Constable of North Yorkshire spending £24000 on a refurb of the en-suite
shower room to her office.

Ah yes, terrible unforseen circumstances, etc, etc.

But the same lot have also spent a fecking fortune on installing a sunshade
in the garden which they could have purchased from the most expensive
supplier in Europe for about 1/10th of the price.

http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/...ess/canopy.htm

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

At least it gives a clue as to why she needs her own shower

--
geoff

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the
drugs began to take hold. I remember raden saying
something like:

Oh look, it's the same Chief Constable posing in front of the errrm, thing.

At least it gives a clue as to why she needs her own shower

Ooh, you're cruel.

But funny.
--

Dave

On Wed, 13 Dec 2006 21:28:09 +0000, Andy Hall wrote:

Not that there should be any such fee, because the shade is a standard
off-the-peg item. In fact that particular one looks like a real rip-off,
the ones I'm used to seeing are much larger, generally mounted on 14ft
poles. Like these:

http://www.unopiu.it/scheda.asp?cate...91&modello=391

Mmm... certainly it wasn't the canopy that had the 'grandi dimensioni'
in the Yorkshire scene.

Nope, and the CC would have to explain the price difference between about
£1400 and the actual cost, which isn't stated but I think we can guarantee
it will be more than £7500.

Signs of North Yorks Plod financial mismanagement are that they really
don't know what a job is going to cost. Something like this and the shower
should be fixed price quotes, there should be no ambiguity.

I'd like to know how long that deck lasts at Newby Wiske. I'll be astounded
if it lasts longer than a couple of seasons. What was wrong, I wonder, with
using yorkstone?