Capita contracted by Barnet but supreme court could still intervene

6th Aug 2013 07:09

Outsourcing behemoth Capita has been officially contracted on two new contracts by the London Borough of Barnet after local objections were quashed by the courts.However, a group of Barnet residents has suggested the controversial 'One Barnet' outsourcing plans may face further challenge in the courts as one local resident and her legal team have applied for permission to approach the Supreme Court.But Capita has announced that it has been signed to provide customer services and development and regulatory services (DRS), which the FTSE 100 company says are together worth £474m over 10 years once they begin in September and October respectively.Under the £320m customer services contract, Capita are contracted to deliver council services including corporate programmes, customer services, estates, finance, human resources and payroll, information systems, procurement, revenues and benefits. The contract was originally advertised as in the Official Journal of the European Union as worth between £600m and £750m.The £154m DRS contract will see the group manage services including highways management, planning and development, regeneration and environmental health and trading standards services. Barnet's plans to outsourcing almost all of its services have been met with fierce objections from residents, including one Maria Nash, whose Judicial Review was brought as she argued that Barnet council did not put its massive 'One Barnet' scheme to a public vote.Three judges at the Court of Appeal refused the application on a technicality, on the grounds that it was "out of time".OH