Uckfield firm challenges town council over tendering process

An Uckfield company which is expert in renewable energy is asking the town council why it wasn’t invited to quote for work installing photo voltaic solar panels on the Civic Centre roof.

Paynes Energy Solutions has been operating in Uckfield for the last 32 years and employs about 70 local people.

Andy Payne, whose father Frank founded the company, has written to the council saying: “We are, to say the very least, very disappointed that we did not get the opportunity to even tender for the works that are being carried out.”

He says the company, which is based in Blackboys, did write to the council, and follow up with a phone call in June, to register an interest in the project.

They were “astonished” on Friday to see the PV panels going up on the roof and that a company from Maidenhead was doing the work.

Mr Payne asks in his letter:

“Does the town council have an environmental policy, for example distance travelled of product and installers for installation (like other councils)
“Your tender process? We would like to know what this is or was.
“Town companies (do the council actually appreciate local support). Do the council actually show any interest into town companies? Do they actually know what companies are in the town? Do the council actually want to support local business and local labour (obviously not).

“This may sound like sour grapes (which this is not) but we would have liked the opportunity to price.”

Paynes Energy Solutions is a member of Uckfield Chamber of Commerce and has been invited to talk about renewable energies at one of its meetings.

Cllr Ian Smith who chairs the town council’s general purposes committee said he was aware of the letter and looking into the matter.

He said the normal tendering process on a large project would involve getting three quotes and his early investigations showed that happened in this case.

The project involved not just the photo voltaic panels but also the installation of a wind turbine and it may be that quotes were sought from companies able to carry out both jobs.

Cllr Smith said it was a worry that Mr Payne said he had written to the council and telephoned to register an interest. That specific point was being investigated.

“Generally the council is obviously well aware of local businesses and what they do and as far as I know do use local businesses in a lot of different areas,” said Cllr Smith.

“The PV panels are now added and we can’t undo what has been done on this but if there are lessons to be learned out of this then obviously we will learn from them.”

Here is a story we carried about Paynes and its work with alternative energy sources: Firm has energy solutions

And here is a story about Plans for photo voltaic panels on Civic Centre roof, Uckfield