Issue - meetings

Report by the Service Director, Highways and Transport.

Councillor Dick Tonge, Cabinet member for Highways and Transport presented a report on the award of the Highways Consultancy Contract.

A large proportion of the Council’s highways functions were currently delivered and managed by the Highways Consultancy Contract, with the existing contract ending in November 2012, there was a need to procure a new contract.

Councillor Tonge explained that a review of existing and future expenditure and requirements for the highways service was carried out in 2011 and considered options for future provision of the service.  It was concluded that tenders should be invited for a new Highways Consultancy Contract to start on 1 December 2012.  He explained the main considerations for the Council and in particular highlighted:

·         The options considered

·         The scope of the contract

·         Attracting potential bidders

·         The tendering process

·         The tender assessment

·         Quality assessment

·         Price assessments; and

·         Bid comparisons

Tenders had been invited in accordance with the Council’s procurement procedures. The six tenders received had been assessed in terms of quality and cost, using Quality/Price considerations of 50/50 as outlined in the report to Cabinet on 15 November 2011.  The detailed scoring and financial information was contained in a confidential report considered during Part 2 of the meeting (minute no. 88 below refers).

Resolved:

That the process adopted for the Highways Consultancy Contract be noted.

Reasons for Decision

(i)            There is a need for specialist advice and support in connection with roads, bridges and related services, and this would be most economically provided by a Highways Consultancy Contract. 

(ii)          The tenders were assessed in terms of Quality/Price division of 50/50 as set out in the report to Cabinet on 15 November 2011. The quality of the service is important because the contract is substantially involved with design work.  Poor quality design can have a disproportionate effect on construction costs, especially in terms of capital road and bridge maintenance work which will form a large proportion of the workload.

(iii)         The most advantageous for the Council, taking into account quality and price, should be accepted in accordance with the procurement procedures. The detailed scoring and financial information is contained in a confidential report to be considered in Part 2 of this meeting.