The Regeneration of the Millennium Dome and Associated Land

The Regeneration of the Millennium Dome and Associated Land
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2005-09-22
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 0215025741

The first competition (1999-2001) to find a future use for the Millennium Dome, failed to find a buyer able to complete the deal on acceptable terms. (This initial competition was for the Dome itself, without additional land.) The second sale process (2001-2004) led to a deal with Meridian Delta Ltd and the Anschutz Entertainment Group for the development over 20 years of the whole northern Greenwich Peninsula (over 100 acres), including reuse of the Dome. It preserves the Dome in place until 2018, housing a large indoor arena and leisure complex, and provides for a major office development and some 10,000 new homes on the adjacent land. The Committee criticizes English Partnerships for not making a clear, open offer of all the land that was available at the outset of the second competition. It is suggested that the value for money aspects of the deal have not been fully analysed, and that the public sector should consider taking a royalty, or a percentage of gross takings, instead of profit sharing. English Partnerships should ensure it takes a proactive part in this joint venture.

The Regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula

The Regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 52
Release: 2008
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780102953077

This report is a follow-up to the NAO's 2005 report on the Regeneration of the Millennium Dome and associated land (HC 178, session 2004-05, ISBN 9780102931662). The 2005 report examined the process for selling the Millennium Dome and associated land and the resulting deal and concluded that the resulting deal offered an integrated solution for the regeneration of the Greenwich Peninsula and offered the Government a sensible exit strategy from the Dome. The development is still at an early stage and faces inherent risks and challenges which mean it is only possible to come to firm conclusions about early progress compared to the initial plans, rather than on the longer term outcomes. The report finds that The Dome has become a highly successful entertainment venue and a beacon for a new community on the Peninsula. The wider redevelopment of the surrounding land has been less successful. Some commercial and educational developments are underway earlier than planned initially. The delivery of new housing has, however, fallen behind schedule. It will be difficult for the housing programme to recover the lost ground to meet original targets because the rate of building required to do so is very demanding. As a consequence of these delays, the taxpayer's likely return from the redevelopment has fallen significantly. The structure of the deal means that the delays have affected the taxpayer more than the private sector. The Government should consider whether future deals can be structured to align better the interests of the public and private sectors.

The BBC's White City 2 Development

The BBC's White City 2 Development
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2006-02-14
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0215027337

The BBC's White City 2 property development in West London comprises three new buildings, which were built next to an existing BBC building known as White City 1. White City 2 was financed by Land Securities Trillium under a 30 year partnership deal with the BBC, which also covered property services at 48 other BBC locations. The cost of construction for White City 2 was £210 million, along with £60.9 million for furniture and technical fit-out of the buildings. The development was completed on time, but the Committee of Public Accounts found several aspects of the project constituting risks to value for money. The cost of the development also exceeded the amount originally approved by the BBC Governors, along with significant variations to the scheme as the project progressed. The Committee set out a number of conclusions and recommendations: that the whole life costs of projects should be assessed and made available to the BBC Governors; the BBC should better integrate design and construction, so reducing the risk of design changes after contracts have begun; the license fee money should not be used to subsidise the BBC's commercial subsidiaries, and that rent charged for the sublet of buildings should meet the BBC's costs; that the BBC should not hold on to property which it does not need or which it cannot use cost-effectively; the BBC in future should follow public sector good practice, in particular in estimating whole life costs of projects, monitoring returns to the private sector, obtaining refinancing benefits, and integrating design and construction.

Public Sector Auditing

Public Sector Auditing
Author: Sir John Bourn
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 426
Release: 2008-07-31
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9780470725344

Drawing on 20 years of experience as Comptroller and Auditor General, and head of the United Kingdom National Audit Office, Public Sector Auditing: Is it Value for Money? is Sir John Bourn’s own account of the role and influence value for money auditing has in holding governments to account and in helping public bodies improve the ways in which they deliver services. Key features include: In-depth case studies from UK, US, Canada, China, India and Australia; Detailed analysis of complex areas of public expenditure such as health, education, privatisation, regulation, defence and IT; Examples of how auditing can promote positive outcomes rather than negative post mortems. This book is relevant for people working in both the public and private sectors, and should be essential reading for the staff of public sector audit institutions around the world, as well as commercial accountancy firms and students of accountancy, politics, economics and public management.

Unintended Consequences

Unintended Consequences
Author: Clive Wills
Publisher: John Hunt Publishing
Total Pages: 192
Release: 2020-05-01
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1789042895

How is it that, in doing our very best to achieve one thing, we can end up achieving just the opposite? There exists an unseen force with an unassuming name that conceals all manner of terrors. It is ‘Unintended Consequences’, and it takes our efforts to do the good and right thing, turns them to ashes and blows them back in our faces. Whether it be governments fighting a “War on Terror” only to bring their economies crashing about their ears, ecologists attempting to stamp out pests but making things ten times worse in the process, or giving people lots of choice only for them to make worse decisions, it is all too easy to start out with the best of intentions, only to end up doing more harm than good. In Unintended Consequences, Clive Wills discusses national disasters, Prohibition and the War on Drugs, frustrated efforts to improve health and safety, and touches on issues of everyday life such as how to improve relationships and bring up children. As HL Mencken reflected, “For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong”. This book examines the many ways in which those apparently simple solutions can turn around and bite us, and more importantly, just what we can do about it.

Assessing Sustainability and Organizational Innovation of Urban Regeneration Projects

Assessing Sustainability and Organizational Innovation of Urban Regeneration Projects
Author: Alessandra Ricciardelli
Publisher: Springer Nature
Total Pages: 72
Release: 2022-12-10
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 3031202007

This book offers the first comprehensive report on the topic of organizational innovation and sustainability of urban regeneration from the public manager's perspective. Starting from a rich set of case studies on urban regeneration from the region of Apulia, in Italy, it develops a framework for measuring their sustainability performance. It proposes the use of indicators related to different aspects of the urban regeneration process, including the participations of stakeholders; land use and buildings; economy and jobs; transportation; environmental pollution; energy use; waste management; as well as open spaces and wildlife. This book offers extensive information to graduate students and researchers, and to authorities, developers, investors and stakeholders alike, involved in the design, planning and management, and sustainable development of urban spaces. It is expected to foster a better understanding of the level of organizational innovation and sustainability of urban regeneration projects and the role of governing bodies in their implementation.

National Offender Management Service

National Offender Management Service
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2006-06-06
Genre: Law
ISBN: 9780215029164

The prison population in England and Wales has been increasing since the 1990s and by November 2005 it reached a record level of 77,800, resulting in increased levels of overcrowding and stretched resources. Following on from a NAO report (HC 458, session 2005-06 (ISBN 0102935696) published in October 2005, the Committee's report examines how the Home Office, the Prison Service and the National Offender Management Service (which has responsibility for managing and accommodating prisoners) are dealing with the challenges involved in accommodating this record number of prisoners, the construction and use of temporary accommodation and the impact on the delivery of education and other training for prisoners. The Committee makes a number of conclusions and recommendations including in relation to: the deportation of foreign nationals, the use of alternatives to remand such as electronic tagging, contingency planning to ensure greater flexibility in accommodation plans including pilot testing new accommodation to identify possible problems early on, the application of best practice in anti-suicide monitoring measures, and the impact of moving prisoners around the prison estate on their training needs.

HM Customs and Excise Standard Report 2003-04

HM Customs and Excise Standard Report 2003-04
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2005-12-06
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0215026403

HM Customs and Excise (now part of HM Revenue and Customs) collected £162 billion of gross receipts in 2003-04 in value added tax (VAT) and excise and customs duties from over 1.8 million business traders. The Committee's report examines the NAO standard report on the work of the Department during 2003-04 (contained within the 95th report of the Commissioners of Her Majestys Customs and Excise for 2003-04, published as HCP 119, session 2004-05, ISBN 0102931593 in December 2004). It makes a number of recommendations focusing on work related to the two key revenue streams of VAT (which generates £63.6 billion net) and hydrocarbon oils, mainly on petron and diesel fuel (which provides £12.7 billion and £9.8 billion respectively).

The South Eastern Passenger Rail Franchise

The South Eastern Passenger Rail Franchise
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2006-05-11
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0215028740

In June 2003 the Strategic Rail Authority announced that it would be terminating the Connex South Eastern franchise for passenger rail services in Kent, parts of Sussex and South East London; the first, and so far only, instance where a train operating company's franchise has been terminated early. Following on from a National Audit Office report (HCP 457, session 2005-06; ISBN 0102936498) published in December 2005, the Committee's report examines why the franchise experienced difficulties; why the contract was terminated, and the impact on the interests of the taxpayer. The report sets out a number of conclusions and recommendations on the lessons to be learned in order to reduce the risk of future franchise failures.

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2005-11-22
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0215026284

On the basis of the NAO report 'More than a roof' (ISBN 0102932255, HC 286, Session 2004-05), the Committee took evidence from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on levels and causes of homelessness, progress in alleviating its consequences and the development of services to prevent to problem. Among the conclusions were the needs: to improve information and statistics on homelessness; for clearer responsibilities for social landlords; and a longer-term solution to unsatisfactory temporary accommodation.