Agenda for Commissioning and Procurement Executive Committee on Tuesday, 10th November, 2020, 10.00 am

Agenda and minutes

Venue: Remote - To be held remotely via Zoom - https://www.youtube.com/user/NottCityCouncil. View directions

Contact: Phil Wye  Email: phil.wye@nottinghamcity.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

17.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Councillor Sally Longford – other Council business

18.

Declarations of Interests

Minutes:

None.

19.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 374 KB

To confirm the minutes of the last meeting held on 15 September 2020

Minutes:

The minutes of the meeting held on 15 September 2020 were confirmed as a correct record.

20.

Voluntary and Community Sector update pdf icon PDF 217 KB

Minutes:

An update document was submitted by Celina Adams, Head of Support Services at

The Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS) and is appended to these

minutes.

 

Committee members expressed their gratitude to the Voluntary and Community Sector during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the first lockdown. The Council will continue to lobby the Government for additional funding.

21.

Procurement of Services for Rough Sleepers - Key Decision pdf icon PDF 308 KB

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage

Minutes:

Bobby Lowen, Commissioning Lead, introduced the report putting forward recommendations to allow the Council to appoint a framework of providers able to provide services for people sleeping rough (and those at risk of rough sleeping) in Nottingham.

 

The creation of a framework is proposed in order to ensure that the Council is able to select organisations that have been able to demonstrate their qualification to provide services for rough sleepers to receive contracts for the delivery of these services in Nottingham. The introduction of a framework will also create more opportunity for the Council to achieve best value (in quality and price) and will support compliance with procurement legislation.

 

The following answers were provided following questions from the Committee:

 

(a)  procurement opportunities will be advertised on the Council’s portal, and known stakeholders will also be notified by email;

(b)  working with other local authorities was considered but rejected as an option as there are many good service providers in the city. Service providers and groups were consulted on the framework.

 

Resolved to

 

(1)  approve the procurement of a framework of providers of services to assist rough sleepers as a mechanism for the compliant future contracting of these services;

(2)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director of Development and Growth to award contracts to providers selected to the framework through the procurement
 process;

(3)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Development and Growth to agree the outcome of call off competitions under the framework and to award contracts in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Planning, Housing and Heritage.

 

Reasons for recommendations:

 

·  In recent years, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has sought applications from local authorities to access short-term funding awards (typically on an annual basis) to address rough sleeping. These opportunities have been presented through the Rough Sleeping Initiative, the Rapid Rehousing Pathway, the Cold Weather Fund, and the Next Steps Accommodation Programme.

·  It is anticipated the requirement for local authorities to submit bids will continue as the means used by MHCLG for the administration of funding for services to assist rough sleepers from 2021/22 and beyond.

·  Nottingham City Council has been successful in successive applications for funding since the launch of the governments Rough Sleeping Initiative in the spring of 2018. It is likely that the Council will continue to apply for funding from MHCLG to assist in its efforts (and in the efforts of its partners) to reduce rough sleeping in Nottingham.

·  Applications for funding from MHCLG have typically required the submission of proposals within a short bidding window. This has limited the scope to produce the delivery of services through a competitive tender process.

·  The creation of a framework will provide the opportunity for the Council to make sure that contracts for services for rough sleepers are awarded to organisations that have demonstrated their suitability through a clear procurement process. The provision of a framework will also allow for competitive ‘mini-tenders’ to help the Council to secure the most suitable services and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 21.

22.

Nottingham and Derby Bike Hire Procurement Route - Key Decision pdf icon PDF 382 KB

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Local Transport

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Adele Williams, Portfolio Holder for Adult Care and Local Transport, and John Bann, Cycling and Roadspace Transformation Manager, introduced the report seeking approval to commence the procurement route for the Nottingham and Derby Bike Hire Project, which forms part of the Transforming Cities Fund successful bid for £161m by Nottingham and Derby, to offer walking and cycling route improvements to encourage an increase in sustainable commuting. The Nottingham and Derby Bike Hire project has been allocated £4m and will deliver the creation of a bike hire service to operate across both cities, including e-bikes.

 

Resolved to

 

(1)  approve the initiation of procurement activities for the Nottingham and Derby Bike Hire project and delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Development and Growth to appoint preferred suppliers and contractors to deliver the project;

(2)  delegate authority to the Head of Legal Services to sign contracts with the preferred contractors following procurement exercises to allow the projects to be delivered.

 

Reasons for recommendations:

 

·  The Transforming Cities Fund and Future Transport Zone programmes will support sustainable growth and significantly contribute to the carbon neutral plan, local air quality plan objectives and support current local transport restart in response to Covid-19.

·  Cycling levels particularly as a method of commuting are currently a key part of the post Covid-19 recovery plan. Increasing cycling offers the user health benefits, alongside improved air quality and reducing congestion. Schemes being delivered as part of the TCF programme will enable more people to be able to consider cycling as a mode for their journey.

·  A successful bike hire scheme will increase the levels of cycling in the City and help achieve Council objectives such as improving air quality, mobility and general health, whilst helping to reduce traffic congestion. Additionally this will develop alongside Nottingham’s cycle network and the proposed upgrading of cycle routes.

 

Other options considered in making recommendations:

 

·  An option considered was to not progress with a tender for the Bike Hire project and consider managing and operating the scheme internally between Nottingham and Derby Councils. This was rejected as there is no revenue funding available to manage the scheme, only capital funding. There is also limited scalability for the Council to run this project internally.

23.

Exclusion of the public

To consider excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining item(s) in accordance with Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 on the basis that, having regard to all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information. 

Minutes:

Exclusion of the public was no longer required as the exempt item was withdrawn.

24.

HR and Finance System Maintenance and Support - Key Decision

Joint report of the Portfolio Holder for Finance, Growth and the City Centre, and the Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Schools and Communications.

Minutes:

This item was withdrawn.