Page updated 8th Apr 2018
Information released by the Vale under Freedom of Information Act and Enviromental Information Regulations
For more information, please contact WWCC at westwayconcern@gmail.com.
New (8th April 2018) – documents relating to the decision to reduce the sale price (March 2018)
C&W Report_September 2017 – redacted
C&W Summary of latest funding agreement Jan 18 – redacted
Cabinet report – West Way Botley – October 2017 – redacted
DA – final variations site 1 and site 2 Botley – signed – redacted
Scrutiny Sept 2017 – West Way, Botley – redacted
(1st Mar 2018) – Unredacted documents relating to land sale agreement (2012)
Cabinet exempt minutes – 7 December 2012
Appendix to Cabinet report 7 December 2012 – financial appraisal
Appendix to Cabinet report 7 December 2012 – funding strategy
Appendix to Cabinet report 7 December 2012 – West Way development area plan
Background to Cabinet report 7 December 2012 – DTZ West Way report
Confidential report to Cabinet 7 December 2012 – Sale of West Way
Development appraisal, Latham High, 13 December
New (31st Jan 2018) – Documents on Mace’s Affordable Housing Viability Statement
Documents released following ruling by Information Commissioner that Vale were not justified in withholding the information
Oxford Botley Centre Viability Submission_Main Report – unredacted
Oxford Botley Centre Viability Submission Addendum May 2016 full – unredacted
Viability Appraisal Report – WestWay Botley – Adams Integra -April 2016 – unredacted
Information on Vale’s costs and revenue with respect to West Way Shopping Centre
response 1 – legal and professional costs for proposed sale of WWSC and preparation of SPD
response 2 – revenue from WWSC and costs; spreadsheet NH005; service-charge-transaction-listing; service-charge-transaction-listing-2; service-charge-transaction-listing-3
Documents on Mace’s Affordable Housing Viability Statement – redacted documents
New document released 13 March 2017: Viability Appraisal Report – WestWay Botley – Adams Integra -April 2016 – redacted for release
Oxford Botley Centre Viability Submission_Report Final printed
Oxford Botley Centre Viability Submission Addendum May 2016 full printed
Oxford Botley Centre Viability Email re Purchase Price AI 2016 6 6 printed
appendix 1 Ownership-Plan-1612-X-09-B
appendix 2 151127_GA Plans_updated
appendix 3 160120_Botley Master plan_Area Schedule
appendix 4 Timescale Assumptions 2016 2 29
appendix 5 Botley Centre Developer Appraisal 2016 2 25 policy compliant printed
appendix 7 GDV Calculator resi printed
appendix 8 GDV Calculator student printed
appendix 9 West Way Botley – Ver A Rev A – Cost Plan printed
appendix 10 Botley Centre Developer Appraisal 2016 2 25 10% starter homes printed
New: Information related to materials containing asbestos in the West Way Shopping Centre
Asbestos review 2015; Botley Management Report ; Westway shopping centre asbestos register ; Asbestos Management Plan Public Conveniences ; Chapel Way Public Toilets
Seacourt Hall is the responsibility of North Hinksey Parish Council
Further information relating the the Supplementary Planning Document (released 8th Jan 2016)
DTZ report – The West Way Shopping Centre; Assessment of Development Options (redacted)
Summary of Freedom of Information requests can be found in the links below:
1 Request for information relating to the award of the contract to Doric
2 Request for information relating to the Supplementary Planning Document
Information relating the the Supplementary Planning Document (released 26th Oct 2015)
DTZ report: Assessment of Development Options – Viability and Deliverability, July 2015
Information released concerning the Supplementary Planning Document
Notes of meeting, 15 April 2015
Information released concerning the marketing and sale of West Way Shopping Centre, and adjacent office buildings
Heads of Terms for sale of West Way Shopping Centre to Doric Properties, Sept 2011
Marketing co-operation agreement for sale of Site 1, Feb 2011
Information released to reflect decision of First Tier Tribunal
DTZ report to Cabinet, 7 December 2012
Report of Cabinet Member Decision 30 April 2012
Decision report from the First Tier Tribunal, received 25th June
- click here for the report
Further information released by the Vale (12th June 2015) is available via the links below:
- Note prepared by DTZ about proposed sale of WWSC to Doric, 02 02 12
- DTZ Note – proposed contractual structure with Doric 10 02 12
- Pinsents decision tree analysis 2011-03-22
- Brochure prepared by Doric (1612-PGG-02-Brochure)
- email Mark Williams to Graham Hawkins 22-10-20
- email from Matt Prosser 16-08-2012
Information provided by the Vale, prior to and during the First-Tier Tribunal (31st March / 1st April 2015)
Cushman & Wakefield marketing document
Extract of notes from Cabinet meetings attended by Doric
Open Bundle 2, provided in advance of Tribunal. This contains minutes of Cabinet meetings, records of Cabinet member decisions, and a report prepared by DTZ on behalf of the VWHDC
Un-redactions from Open Bundle 2
Clauses from the Vale / Doric Agreement; clauses on Freedom of Information and Confidentiality
History
Mary Gill, 5th May 2015
In November 2013, I submitted a request to the Vale District Council for information about the decision process which led to the award of the conditional contract with Doric Properties for the sale of WWSC and the nearby office blocks, Seacourt Community Hall and the Baptist Church. As we know, this agreement with Doric paved the way for the planning application for ‘Botley District Centre’, which was rejected by the Vale Planning Committee in December 2014.
My request
My request to the Vale was:
I request information on the decision to award a contract to Doric Properties for the development of the West Way Centre, including, but not limited to:
1 Bid documentation provided to prospective bidders;
2 Process for and criteria for selection of successful bidder;
3 Number of organisations who expressed an interest in bidding;
4 Number of organisations who submitted a bid;
5 Names of organisations who submitted a bid;
6 Minutes of meetings and correspondence on the subject.
The Vale informed me that my request came under Environmental Information Regulations rather than the Freedom of Information Act. The difference is that the Environmental Information Regulations require stronger evidence to support withholding information than does Freedom of Information, but both acts are in place to facilitate ‘more effective participation by the public in environmental decision making’.
I felt that the public had had no active part in the decision to select Doric, and their proposed scheme for Botley. We were not even informed about it until the Agreement was signed to sell the West Way Shopping Centre and to consider Compulsory Purchase Orders of land owned by others.
I complained to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), who upheld my complaint. The Vale were instructed to release the information as requested. They released some further information, in September 2014, but refused any further release and appealed against the ICO’s decision.
The appeal was heard by the First Tier Tribunal, in London, over two days; 31st March to 1st April.
Prior to the Tribunal, (and following the announcement that Doric/Mace were likely to withdraw their appeal against the planning decision), the Vale released some further information in redacted form (i.e. some bits which the Vale and Doric wished to keep secret were blacked out). During the tribunal proceedings further information was released, and the links above contain the redacted document (Open Bundle 2) and the un-redacted information, plus some selected clauses from the Doric / Vale agreement, which were also released at the Tribunal.
Further information was released on 12th June. The decision of the Tribunal was released on the 25th June. The decision partially upheld the Vale’s appeal, but also requires them to release some additional information.
West Way Community Concern 