Issue - meetings

Report of Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Resident Services

Meagan Milic, Highways Compliance Manager, and Chris Keene, Head of Highways Services, introduced the report seeking approval for the provision of future procurement arrangements to support delivery of statutory highway maintenance works (under Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980), highway improvement and public realm programmes and specialist support services for highways work activity.  They highlighted the following information:

a)  This procurement supports the Streets for People 2 Programme and Planned Highways Maintenance Programme agreed earlier in the meeting.

b)  The value of the decision is £92m over four years.  This value is indicative based on previous trends and anticipated funding going forward, and there is no commitment to spend.

c)  The intention is to procure 18 frameworks.  Some of these will be renewals of existing frameworks and some have been identified as now being required as spend analysis shows that procurement thresholds are close to being reached.

d)  These frameworks will give opportunities for small to medium enterprise companies in the City and support associated local jobs.  This is in line with forthcoming changes to procurement regulations which will place greater emphasis on social value and include requirements for market engagement and breaking down packages so that they are accessible to smaller suppliers.

e)  It is known that some smaller companies are put off by perceived amounts of paperwork and the need to engage with the framework online so pre-market engagement is being undertaken to support smaller businesses in engaging with this. 

The Committee welcomed the work taking place to provide easier opportunities for small to medium enterprise companies to engage and obtain work and the positive impact this has for local jobs.

Resolved to:

(1)  approve the procurement and set up of corporate framework agreements listed in table 1 of Appendix 1 to the report;

(2)  approve the call-off from the framework agreements as set out in table 1 of Appendix 1 to the report and award contracts for the delivery of the 2024/25 Statutory Highway Maintenance Works (under Section 41 of the Highway Act 1980), Highway Improvement and Public Realm Programmes and Specialist Support Services for Highways Works; and

(3)  approve the call-off from external third-party frameworks that have been let in accordance with public procurement regulations, as outlined in table 2 of Appendix 1 to the report.

Reasons for decision

f)  The decision enables compliant delivery of works and services to fulfil statutory obligations to maintain the highway and supports all transport services in compliant delivery options.

g)  The benefits of operating under the arrangements are:

  i.  continuity in the provision of compliant delivery arrangements for highways activities in response to increased grant allocation for highways and transport projects;

  ii.  enabling the delivery of external grant funded statutory work activity in line with timescales of award;

  iii.  a value for money delivery model with no fixed financial commitments to use the framework;

  iv.  flexibility with no restriction in developing other delivery models for highways in the future;

  v.  opportunities for local small to medium enterprise companies  ...  view the full minutes text for item 23