Issue - meetings

Mr P Osborne - Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport was in attendance.

1. Mr Osborne presented the item that sought approval for the commissioning of a new zero-based contract framework to support pothole repairs, patching, and resurfacing works at a local level, ensuring continuity of service as current contracts expired.

2. These contracts would carry no upfront financial commitment. The council would only pay after the successful delivery of work was completed and would significantly reduce any financial risk.The discussed contracts did not guarantee any volume of work and provided the council with the maximum flexibility to adapt to budgetary pressures and funding uncertainties.The annual expenditure under these contracts was expected to range between £6 million and £14 million.

3.Members questioned the efficiency of the previous subcontracting model in terms of time and budget and proposed the adoption of a more direct approach to the commissioning of contractors that incorporated the new procurements acts goal of embedding additional social value.

4.Officers responded by expanding upon the comprehensive process of assessing contractors. Commissioning colleagues had provided support throughout the entirety of the evaluation and moderation process before any contracts would be awarded. Financial viability and performance capabilities all had to be demonstrated throughout the process and scored accordingly through to the tender process. Only once these phases had been completed and a cost was agreed on a price per quality basis would a contract then be awarded.

5.Members queried if contracts would now place a constraint on a contractor that had subcontracting works. Officers responded that, as part of the procurement process, contractors had been required to indicate in their tender submissions would intend to subcontract any aspects of the work. These aspects would be considered throughout the tender evaluation process.

RESOLVED to endorse the proposed decision, namely:

That the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport agree to:

(i)             APPROVE the procurement and contract award of zero value Local Highways Maintenance Support Contracts.

(ii)             DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth Environment & Transport in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, to take relevant actions, including but not limited to, awarding, finalising the terms of and entering into the relevant contracts or other legal agreements, as necessary, to implement the decision; and

(iii)           DELEGATE authority to the Corporate Director of Growth Environment and Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, to award extensions of the contracts in accordance with the relevant clauses within the contracts as shown at Appendix A.