BOURNEMOUTH Council has been accused of putting a private company’s interest before the public interest by withholding performance targets set for Mouchel.

The council has transferred six departments to the company in two enormous deals worth around £180million over 10 years.

The Echo was given a copy of the agreement after a Freedom of Information Act request – but many sections and figures were censored.

They include many targets that directly affect the public – who are paying for the deal.

Examples include: the council tax collection target, the benefits processing target and how many transferred council staff at risk of redundancy should be retrained.

The amounts of money Mouchel is supposed to invest has also been withheld.

Bournemouth Council’s branch secretary, David Higgins, has seen 454 staff transferred to private hands.

He said: “How can the public know if this deal is providing value for money if we aren’t told the targets set and whether they are reached?

“The council will try to claim certain information is commercially confidential, not because it is, but because it is embarrassing for them and Mouchel.”

Former council leader Richard Smith said: “Everything that you would want to read has been redacted – they have even redacted things that are already in the public domain.”

Bournemouth Council has said the Mouchel deal will save around £10million over its lifespan.

Cllr John Beesley, leader of the council, said: “The contract is underpinned by a detailed series of Key Performance Indicators and a performance mechanism unique to Mouchel.

“Releasing these figures could disadvantage Mouchel and the council’s commercial interests and subsequently threaten the success of the partnership.

“Disclosing this commercially sensitive information could provide Mouchel’s competitors with an unfair advantage in any future procurements.”

What has been removed

Material which has been censored ‘due to commercial interest’ in the Mouchel contract released to the Echo:

• Improve the first time fix rates of service calls as measured by the help desk from [Redacted] to [Redacted].

• Drive the number of benefits claims and revenues transactions processed in one business day to exceed [Redacted].

• The partner shall create a back to work service that shall target the reemployment of [Redacted] of all staff who would otherwise be made redundant.

• Invest [Redacted] in the transformation core services, as further set out in [Redacted].

• Increase and sustain council tax collection rates [Redacted] percentage points in year one and [Redacted] percentage points in each subsequent year.

• Reduce carbon emissions in the council’s residential housing stock by at least [Redacted] by 1 December 2015 from a baseline to be agreed.