16 July 2014 at the full council meeting:

Question from Councillor Debby Hallett to Councillor Elaine Ware, Cabinet member for economy, leisure and property:

What is the current policy for deciding about letting emty units in West Way Centre?

Cllr Ware’s answer was verbal, so I scribbled some notes. (I expect her answer will be in the council’s minutes when they are published.)

The Vale owns West Way and makes the letting decisions. Out of courtesy, Doric are consulted. Doric’s concern is that letting agreements not go beyond Dec 2015, which would interfere with their development plans. Doric sometimes make a financial contribution to help offset the lower-than-market rents in any deals that are affected by the short term of the ageement.

Then I asked as a supplementaty (no advance notice is given to anyone of the nature of a supplementary question):

What role do Doric Properties play in the day-to-day running of West Way?

Answer: essentially, none. The Vale own and manage the property.

Subsequently I reported to the CEO David Buckle that there have been some mis-communications to current tenants about Doric’s role in every day decisions. For example, the agent told busness owners that Doric held approval authority over the West Way Festival and other potential events. Mr Buckle says Doric don’t have that role. The Vale own West Way. I asked that the agents be updated with correct information.