Decision details

Christmas Event for Holcombe Market 2021: One-year contract to The Christmas Decorators for delivery of a Christmas Event for Holcombe Market.

Decision Maker: Head of Programme Management

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

Approval to appoint under Contract Standing Order 8.02 for a supplier to deliver a festive event in partnership with the Tottenham Traders Partnership on Friday 3 December to Saturday 4 December 2021 using the New Homes Bonus grant and trader contributions.

The event will be delivered by The Christmas Decorators Ltd, to provide a Christmas Grotto for Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th December in a vacant market unit, and to dress the inside of the empty market stand and the overall Holcombe Market. The supplier will also install:

• Icicle lights down the full 22m length of the market in a zigzag format using approximately 65m of blue and white icicle lights and creating 5 zigzags in total
• Install a permanent catenary wire infrastructure that allows the use of bunting or other lightweight display items at other times of the year
• Display a wall motif on the wall of Santander that is 2.5m long x 76cm tall.

All permissions have been sought and approved.

Total Project Cost = £3,642 (NHB: £2,642, traders: £1,000)

Reasons for the decision:

Due to the contract value, a direct award is sufficient in awarding of this contract, under the Council’s procurement guidelines.

There is a high demand from traders and members for an on-street festive event in December in Tottenham, and Holcombe Market offers the best opportunity. Both the Tottenham Traders Partnership (TTP) and Holcombe Market stallholders are contributing £500 each, thus reducing the cost commitment from the New Homes Bonus (NHB) funding to £2,642.

The event would attract footfall back to the high street post-pandemic, in support of local traders who have seen trade suffer during the pandemic. This is a key element that has been agreed with the supplier so that the market area will have the greatest positive impact with its target audience. This initiative would also form part of the Council’s High Street Recovery Action Plan to support the growth of the market and improve its reach and economic vitality.

The Christmas Decorators Ltd have a proven track record of delivering Christmas dressings for events and trees, including adhering to Health and Safety and COVID-safe practices.

Alternative options considered:

1) Do Nothing – would not help improve the town centre economic environment during recent challenging trading conditions, or support the area to ‘bounce back’, encourage residents back to the high street at the most important trading time of the year, nor underpin the Council’s Live.Shop.Local campaign.

2) Get three quotes on the open market and assess responses. This option was discounted because the contract value is below £10k and the existing supplier has created the concept and was requested by the TTP having worked in the area previously, and therefore is best placed to manage the event.

Publication date: 04/11/2021

Date of decision: 27/10/2021