Decision details

For the Director of Placemaking and Housing to approve a capital expenditure of £104,339.25 to fund the contract variation to the existing KCA contract for multidisciplinary design services for the Selby Urban Village masterplan, in accordance with CSO 10.02.1(a). This variation will increase the total contract value from £757,172 to £861,511.25

The Council and the Selby Trust have been progressing the Selby Urban Village Project, which seeks to deliver new housing, a community centre and new sporting facilities since 2018. Following the conclusion of the design and cost optimisation review of the scheme, it has been agreed that the Council can not commit to funding a proposed new sports hall for the project at this stage. Consequently, the proposed new sports hall will need to be progressed through an outline planning application, at the same time as two detailed planning applications are being developed.

It is proposed that the existing contract with KCA, agreed at Cabinet in September 2023, to develop planning applications for the site, is varied to allow KCA to develop the outline planning application for the sports hall, alongside the detailed planning applications for the rest of the scheme. This will ensure that the designs can be developed holistically given that they are best placed to deliver this work given that they have already developed the proposals for the sports hall and have been appointed to submit the two planning detailed planning applications.

Officers considered the following alternative options:

Procure another architect to develop and submit the planning application

Officers considered undertaking a procurement process to secure architects to develop the outline planning application for the sports hall. However, on review it is clear that it will be far more cost efficient for the Council to award the contract directly to KCA given that they have developed much of the design work already, have the benefit of the pre application meetings held with the Local Planning Authority and Quality Review Panel in Enfield and will be able to progress the discussions on the outline planning application at the same time, as the detailed planning applications so there will be a reduced pre-application fee. It is also the case that they can utilise the surveys they will be commissioning for the detailed planning applications, as opposed to a new firm having to commission new survey information. It is also the case that utilising KCA to develop the outline planning application will be more time efficient, which is critical given the need to meet the strict funding deadlines that need to be met to ensure that the Levelling Up Funding is not lost. As such this option is not recommended.

Not progress an outline planning application

Officers have considered not progressing an outline application for the proposed sports hall. However, this option is not supported by our Partners the Selby Trust, who are committed to securing the funding for the new sports hall to ensure that the original vision and objectives of the scheme are maintained. This option is also contrary to the agreement made between the Council and the Selby Trust during the sports option appraisal process of the design and cost review.