Decision details

For the Assistant Director of Regeneration and Economic Development to approve the implementation of Contract Standing Order 9.07.1c. and award a contract for the RIBA stage 1-2 Masterplan to 5th Studio for the period October 2019 – April 2020 for the value of £46,400.

An Invitation to Tender Process was carried out by the Regeneration Team in line with the council’s Contract Standing Orders, using the GLA’s Architecture, Design and Urbanism Panel (ADUP) framework. The Invitation to Tender (at Appendix 3) was sent to all nine companies on the list for Lot 2 of the framework 'Site Masterplanning and Development Feasibility’. This process attracted one tender.

The single submitted tender was evaluated by a panel made up of two Regeneration Officers, a representative from Arriva and a representative from Levene’s Solicitors – as these are partners who are co-funding the masterplan. The tender was evaluated as per Section 3 ‘Tender Evaluation Criteria’ in Appendix 2 in line with the ADUP guidance.

The price was submitted by the consultant as an overall price, but also as a fee schedule that showed the fixed fees for the different pieces of work within the overall contract. The fee breakdown can be found at EXEMPT Appendix 5 – ‘5th Studio Fee Schedule’.

The scores from all members of the Panel were high, the final score being 88% which is a satisfactory endorsement of the 5th Studio bid due to the range of critical perspectives who evaluated.

The Council could have decided not to procure a masterplan but is a requirement in the draft Wood Green Area Action Plan (AAP) that any planning application within the sites SA2, SA3 or SA4 should be accompanied by a masterplan for all three sites, to demonstrate that any planning application will not compromise future redevelopment.

The Council could have waited for another landowner to deliver a masterplan to meet the AAP requirement and proceed with redevelopment but this option beings with it too much uncertainty in terms of timing and quality. In undertaking the masterplan, the Council has a higher level of control and visibility of when redevelopment within the masterplan area will take place. Furthermore, the process of procuring for a co-funded masterplan means that the Council’s requirements can be aligned to the key stakeholders that are Arriva and Levene’s.

The council could have gone back out to the market to get three quotes, however the quality of this bid is good, and the price is good value for money, so the decision was taken to appoint 5th Studio.