“IN RETROSPECT, perhaps we should just have got three quotes from local builders…” – that’s the suggestion from a senior council officer after the authority spent more than £1,500 to lay 35 bricks on a run-down wall.

In March, the News revealed Bracknell Forest Council’s (BFC) huge spend came after Melrose resident Max White had completed “80%” of the work to repair a crumbling wall in Birch Hill.

Sub-contractor’s work finished in September 2017, two months after Mr White rebuilt the “dangerous” wall and four months after construction company Kier UK sent the council a quote for the work.

Residents were left outraged at the cost and slammed the quality of the work as space in between bricks was not completely filled by mortar.

Bracknell News:

An investigation by the News revealed officers commissioned the work as the council did not have wall building in its maintenance contract.

However, emails obtained from senior BFC figures indicated some officers initially knew nothing about the commission as in June 2018 officers tried to determine when the work was given the green light.

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One officer wrote they could “find no record in confirm of an order to repair any ‘wall’ in Melrose” and then later added they had checked the council’s database “as far back as April 2012” for the job.

Max White told the News: “This demonstrates to me that something is very wrong.

“These emails are damning.

“‘We can’t find any record’ – this could be happening all over the place!”

Months later Janet Dowlman, head of environmental services at BFC, gave some clarity on what happened with the commissioning of the wall.

An email revealed structural work on council land is put into the hands of “expert” property surveyors who then contract the work out.

According to the officer: “We were provided with a quote – £1,500 in this case… and we have to trust surveyors to obtain the best value for money for the council for this type of work.”

The same officer then suggested in the same email: “In retrospect, perhaps we should just have got three quotes from local builders...”

BFC chiefs were later urged to ensure they “revisit” how BFC should tackle problems with structures in the borough.

Councillor Sandra Ingham also suggested to Chief Executive Timothy Wheadon that safeguards should be put in place to ensure quality workmanship and that fees are scrutinised.

Emails revealed Cllr Ingham told officers she was attempting to stop Mr White from posting information about the cost to the council on social media sites and on Facebook community group We Love Bracknell.

Bracknell News:

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Councillor Ingham did not respond to requests for comment.

The emails, which featured correspondence from a number of officers and councillors, were released nine months after the News requested them via a Freedom of Information request.

BFC initially refused to hand over the files before the Information Commissioner’s Office forced the authority to publish more than 300 pages of emails with redactions.

The News has already seen some correspondence between Mr White, councillors and officers before the new emails were released, in which councillors indicated reservations about the cost and the quality of the work.

New emails show Vincent Paliczka, former director of environment, communities and culture at BFC, asked officers to justify the work as there “isn’t evidence of value there”, whereas BFC building surveyor Julian Munday suggested: “We weren’t happy with the extent and quality of the work”.

Despite this, Ms Dowlman added: “Knowing what things like this can cost, I don’t think the cost of this was unreasonable – but the work was of a poor standard”.

The News asked Bracknell Forest Council a range of questions relating to the emails, including whether it should have obtained quotes from local builders, whether it was satisfied with the cost and quality of the work and whether it has put safeguards in place to ensure quality repair work in future.

It is also still unclear what poison contractors used, and if they had a licence to do so, when taking down a tree stump behind the wall.

Neighbours only found out about the poison being used several months later - despite children playing nearby after the work was completed. 

BFC declined to comment.

Max White added: “I want a number of people to resign over this.

“Nobody is abiding by the Nolan Principles (of public life) here.

“They have a public duty and they’re accountable.

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“It is a disgrace.”