Agenda and minutes

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis – no items on the agenda directly related to his role as Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board

None

Last meeting held on 21 May 2024 (for confirmation)

The minutes of the meeting held on 21 May 2024 were confirmed as an accurate record and signed by the Chair.

Report of Corporate Director of Finance and Resources

Rav Ghattaora, IT Technical Services Manager, introduced the report seeking approval to undertake a competitive purchasing exercise to find the best value supplier of information and communication technology (ICT) equipment and mobile devices; and purchase, deploy and support the equipment with required labour resources to enable Services’ delivery to citizens, councillors and partners.  He highlighted the following information:

a)  Since 2014 the Council has had a programme to proactively replace laptops, computers and mobile phones, aiming for a 5-6 year lifecycle of equipment.

b)  Procurement will be undertaken via a framework as this is the most cost-effective route to market.

In response to a question from the Committee, it was confirmed that equipment that becomes available due to staff leaving employment is proactively repurposed.

Resolved to:

(1)  delegate authority to the Head of Service (IT) to undertake a procurement process and enter into contracts with the successful bidder, up to the value of £1m per annum over the 3 years to March 2027 (totalling £3m), to purchase PCs, laptops, mobile phones and other peripheral equipment required to deliver the ICT product replacement programme and employ delivery resources; and

(2)  authorise recovery and repayment to the IT Investment Fund and the IT Revenue Budget of varying amounts from departmental budgets to cover requests for new equipment made outside of the IT Equipment Programme.

Reasons for recommendations

c)  There is a high level of dependence on ICT throughout the Council for delivery of services to citizens and to support joint working with partners and the ICT Product Replacement Programme supports this by ensuring that all ICT equipment is fit for purpose.

d)  Purchasing ICT equipment and mobile devices in bulk using a compliant procurement process will ensure the ongoing, cost-effective procurement of devices to support front-line services. The authorisation approved will enable multiple procurements to be carried out over the approved period, which will enable changes in technology to be taken into account.

e)  The value of the procurement is based on historical trends.  If demand is less, fewer devices will be procured and authorised budgets retained within the IT Investment Fund and IT Revenue Budget.

Other options considered

f)  Do nothing.  The current contract for ICT equipment will expire and the purchase of new equipment will have to be made within the Council’s Financial Regulations but on an ad hoc basis. This option was rejected because it will mean that more procurements will be made, with a consequent increase in transactional activity adding to the cost of delivery; and because the purchase volumes will be lower there will be less opportunity to access economies of scale due to some framework conditions as well as other factors.

g)  Currently the Council adopts an approach to providing ICT equipment that is based upon outright ownership and management. Some organisations have adopted a different approach, to lease equipment and buy support services as a part of this package. The benefits of this approach include smoothing the costs of equipment replacement and releasing the organisation  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

Report of Corporate Director for Growth and City Development

Councillor Jay Hayes, Executive Member for Housing and Planning, and Steve Edlin, Assistant Director of Asset Management, introduced the report seeking approval to award a contract for delivery of a stock condition survey of the Council’s managed housing stock.  They highlighted the following information:

a)  The stock condition survey will enable the Council to get a good understanding of the condition of its housing stock and identify what resources are required and when for maintenance and repairs.

b)  It will enable the Council to take a proactive approach to ensuring that its social housing meets the Government’s Decent Homes standard, including the statutory minimum standard based on the 29 hazards in the Housing Health and Safety Rating System.

c)  Further stock condition surveys will be carried out in the future to ensure that there is always an up-to-date understanding of stock condition.

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

d)  The intention is to carry out a stock condition survey every five years.  The last one was carried out in 2017 and the slightly longer time between them was due to challenges with access during the Covid pandemic.

e)  The aim is to carry out the survey within a 12 month period but it is dependent upon getting access to properties and therefore could take up to 18 months.

f)  Access procedures are being reviewed from a safeguarding perspective.  Any safeguarding issues identified before or during the survey either by the Council or Savills will be raised with the appropriate team/ agency.

Resolved to:

(1)  approve a direct award to Savills under ‘Places for People Group Limited’ framework (contract Notice reference: 2002/S 000-029646, published 20 October 2022), and enter into a contract to enable delivery of a full Stock Condition Survey up to 31 July 2025, with an option to extend for 2 years if required; and

(2)  delegate authority to the Assistant Director of Asset Management to set up the required Contract Purchase Agreements to cover the works to be delivered and approve the raising of purchase orders under the signed contract for the duration of the contracts.

Reasons for recommendations

g)  The Council is required to ensure that all of its social housing homes meet the Government’s Decent Homes standard; obligations under the newly introduced Building Safety Act 2022 and Fire Safety Act 2021; and the forthcoming Awaabs Law to ensure that social housing is free from damp and mould, disrepair, Housing Health and Safety Rating System hazards and is structurally sound and safe.  The Council is required to demonstrate its compliance using the consumer standards, specifically for property the safety and quality standard.  A stock condition survey is needed to ensure that the Council can meet these requirements because current data is based on old surveys.  This survey will help ensure the Council is fully compliant with regulations and if not make the Council aware of where it needs to invest to bring failing properties up to standard.

Other  ...  view the full minutes text for item 14.

Report of Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Resident Services

Stephen Chartres, Performance and Improvement Manager, introduced the report seeking approval to finalise the contract with DHP to deliver a two day summer music festival at Wollaton Park and revise that contract to cover the period 2025 – 2029.  He highlighted the following information:

a)  In May 2023 approval was given for a full tendering process to be undertaken for a five year concession contract to deliver a two day summer music festival for the period 2024 – 2028.  The tender process was completed in 2023 and DHP was identified as the preferred supplier.

b)  Delays in the final negotiation and contract development meant that DHP decided not to proceed with an event in 2024.  The contract is still for the originally approved five years but the period covered has been revised to be 2025 – 2029.

Councillors noted that while it is disappointing that the event will not take place in 2024, there are still a substantial number of other events taking place at Wollaton Park in 2024.

Resolved to:

(1)  delegate authority to the Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Resident Services to conclude negotiations and finalise the contract with the preferred supplier DHP for the delivery of an annual two day music festival at Wollaton Park for the period 2025 – 2029; and

(2)  delegate authority to the Head of Events and Tourism, subject to approval by the Director of Legal and Governance, to enter into the contract.

Reasons for recommendations

c)  To secure the event contract with the preferred supplier DHP, ensuring best value, income to the Council and continuation of a popular music festival which has been part of the Council’s events calendar since 2007.

Other options considered

d)  The tender process already undertaken secured a preferred supplier who can offer best value for the delivery of the event.  The open tender process identified that there are limited suppliers in the marketplace that are able to deliver to the specification and financial outcomes required and the revised dates do not materially change the basis on which suppliers originally tendered.  The option to re-tender the contract was rejected because to re-tender at this stage would involve significant cost and delay, put at risk the current contract development with the preferred supplier and be unlikely to achieve an improved position for the Council.

e)  Ceasing having a concession for a summer music festival would result in a loss of income to the Council as revenue is currently received from this event.  It is a popular attraction as part of Nottingham’s annual events and entertainment programme and has created positive recognition, economic and social benefit for the City.  This would be lost or put at risk if the event is discontinued.  The cancellation of the event in 2024 has already seen a detrimental reputational impact on the City alongside a loss of income to the Council.

f)  Delivering the event in-house would result in potential cost and risks to the Council.  The event would still require external specialist  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15.

To consider excluding the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining item 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

The Committee decided to exclude the public from the meeting during consideration of the remaining agenda item 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 outweighed the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in Paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Act.

The Committee noted the information contained in the exempt appendix.