Issue - meetings

                 Report of the Chief Executive

Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet member for Leisure, Libraries, Governance, Facilities Management and Operational Assets, and Cllr Phil Alford, Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Assets and Asset Transfer presented the report seeking delegations to award the Planned and Reactive Maintenance Contracts that are subject to tender.

Cllr Blair-Pilling explained that current arrangements for planned and reactive maintenance contracts required to operate and maintain the council’s General Fund and Housing property estates are coming to an end in April 2022 and April 2023 and there is a need to re-procure these services. Currently most of the contracts are managed and delivered separately and their approximate annual values were detailed in the report.

The new approach will, where appropriate, combine activities across the two
estates bringing together similar activities into single contracts whilst maintaining separation.

The Cabinet noted that the procurement activity would be split in two phases. The focus of phase one would be ‘housing first’ with contracts specific to Housing starting in July 2022. The contracts covering general fund assets and many of the joint contracts would follow in phase two to be procured during 2022 for an April 2023 start.

Cllr Gavin Grant, Vice-Chair of the Financial Planning Task Group, informed Cabinet that the Task Group had considered the report at its meeting held on 26 November 2021. Cllr Grant thanked Cllr Parks for his input and explained that the market had been robustly tested by officers and confirmed that the Task Group were satisfied that all matters had been rigorously dealt with. The Task Group did comment on the need for greater clarity in relation to which portfolio the ownership and responsibility for certain aspects of the service were placed. The report was welcomed by the Task Group who supported the proposals and commended it to the Cabinet for approval.

The Cabinet welcomed the observations of the Financial Planning Task Group and indicated that the issues raised by the Task Group about ownership and responsibilities would be considered further going forward.

Cllr Ian Thorn welcomed the excellent and timely report and supported the opportunity for additional budget savings.

Resolved:

1. Note the proposed procurement strategy.

2. Delegate the award of successful tenders to the Cabinet Member for Housing, Strategic Assets, and Asset Transfer and the Cabinet Member for Leisure, Libraries, Governance, FM and Operational Assets.

Reason for Decision:

To use the termination of the existing contracts to implement a revised approach to deliver benefits across the Housing and General Fund property estates. The value of the contracts to be awarded require Cabinet approval thus the request for delegations.