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 allocation of schemes for the second phase of the Streets for People Programme comprising public highway improvements for highways, traffic management and road safety; and the call-off and award from internal and third party frameworks for the delivery of the Programme.  They highlighted the following information:

a)  The Programme is entirely grant funded, from the Local Transport Plan Area Capital annual block allocation for 2024/25 and the Local Transport Plan Integrated Block.

b)  Consideration has been given as to whether call-off from a framework is the best method for awarding contracts for this Programme, but the alternative of packaging works would be more challenging to complete within the timeframe available and lacks flexibility.  This approach was successfully used for the Streets for People 1 Programme and utilises a mixed approach of direct award, mini-competition and having a basket of goods.  It also enables the Council to change or defer schemes if necessary.  There could be scope to incorporate the Streets for People Programme, Planned Maintenance Programme and statutory highways maintenance works into one contract but because the Council only receives annual awards of funding from the Department for Transport it is unable to award multi-year contracts, which would be more attractive to suppliers.  Commissioners have confirmed that they are comfortable with the proposed approach.

c)  Procurement regulations are changing in autumn 2024, making pre-market engagement mandatory.  Future specifications will be outcomes based to allow the market to identify ways of achieving the desired outcome.

d)  In addition to officers’ technical recommendations, all councillors had the opportunity to identify roads for inclusion in the Programme.

During subsequent discussion and in response to questions from the Committee, the following points were made:

e)  Communication with residents about highways works taking place is important.  If necessary, additional bespoke communication arrangements can be put in place for specific scenarios.

f)  The aim is to work towards a Streets for People 3 Programme and part of that will involve re-engaging residents, by working with ward councillors, on highways maintenance, road safety and traffic requirements. 

Resolved to:

(1)  approve the ward allocation and schemes contained within the 2024/25 Streets for People 2 Programme, as outlined in Appendix 1 to the report, at a cost of £5.85m; and

(2)  approve the call-off and award from internal and external third-party frameworks that have been let in accordance with public procurement regulations for the delivery of the 2024/25 Streets for People 2 Programme, as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report.

Reasons for decision

g)  The Programme enables improvements to be made to the highway including to footways, roads, traffic management and road safety, prioritised on the basis of technical assessment, local knowledge and engagement with ward councillors.

h)  The benefits of operating under the framework arrangements are:

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

  ii.  a value for money  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21