The Town Council is looking to get their new website up and running by August 2012.The cost is going to be the best part of £4500 for what is likely to be a pretty basic design with I assume no e commerce content.
Normally under such circumstances a notice would be put out for people to tender for the job of designing the site at the best price.
Undemocratic Crowborough Town Council however decides that they are just going to hand out the money to someone who cant even get their own website up and running
.
A strange decision to make until you take into account the fact that George Hedges is well known to the council and particular councillors because he is the head of Wealden Residents Action Group (WRAG) who also by coincidence got their unfinished website designed by the self same George Hedges.Dont get the impression that WRAG represents all the residents of the town as they only represent those that used to be called council house tenants but are now classified as living in social housing.
Given that a huge majority of people within the town are not living in social housing WRAG is really insignificant but that doesnt stop it being handed loads of tax payers money.Isnt socialism in the post democratic age wonderful.
Incidently when I went on to view the whois entry for George Hedges Design it states that it is registered by a private non trading individual.If George Hedges is a non trading individual how can he be paid to design a website for 4500 of taxpayers pounds.
3 comments:
I was approached to submit a quote for the council website. My quote was slightly more than the winning quote, but still under £5,000. I was not surprised to not get it, but thought the job would go to an experienced company with an extensive portfolio, not to someone without a current website and no previous work I know of, apart from www.wrag.info.
I am assuming that the new site can't be worse than their current site, but I can't help thinking that the way the whole website process is managed, it will be up for tender in another three years. I believe that a successful council website should be at least self financing with advertising, similar to newsletters.
It is very frustrating to see what is a great opportunity for Crowborough and the council to be missed again.
Thanks Stuart-how do get on the favoured list in order to be approached for a quote?
On their previous website they were asking for local companies (of all trades), to register interest in working with the council. I did that and they got in touch sometime later. That time I went for a discussion, but they went with Jupiter Colour from Heathfield. This time they provided a small website brief, I replied with a quote and then sometime later received a simple rejection letter. I was a bit surprised at not being given an opportunity to put my case in person. The selection process does not seem to be very transparent. I would have thought that when they revealed who would be the chosen company, they would give reasons for their choice, saying how good the company is, previous work, track record etc, so that taxpayers know that their money will be well spent.
I am not sure what has been learnt from the design of the previous website, to make sure that this time, there is a successful outcome.
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