Issue - meetings

[Report of the Director of Environment and Neighbourhoods. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods.]

This report seeks the approval to award an interim highways contract, covering both planned and reactive highways works, to Marlborough Highways Limited for a period of up to 9 months and a maximum value of £4m (four million pounds) under the London Construction Programme (LCP) framework.

The Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods introduced the report which sought approval to award an interim highways contract, covering both planned and reactive highways works, to Marlborough Highways Limited for a period of up to 9 months and a maximum value of £4m (four million pounds) under the London Construction Programme (LCP) framework;

This decision followed on from the Cabinet decision in July 2019 not to award Lot 1 (Highway Term Maintenance Contract) and the Cabinet Member outlined that the Council needed to put in place an interim contractual arrangement, to ensure it complied with the statutory requirements under the Highways Act 1980 and Traffic Management Act 2004 and maintained the programme of works as stated in the Sustainable Transport Works Plan approved by Cabinet in June 2019.

Cabinet noted that awarding an interim contract, through the LCP framework, allowed direct better control and performance management of highways maintenance works which was lacking with the previous award of contract through the LoHac agreement. This interim award would allow the Council time to undertake a review of the highways services and consider the future delivery options (i.e. in-house, via a partnership with another Borough, 3rd party contractor, hybrid etc.).This review would also inform the scope (if any) of re-procuring a future term highways contract.

In response to questions from Cllr Morris, the following information was noted:

• The current contractor Ringway Jacobs would remain in place for a transition period until December and the new contractor would start in September.

• There would be no change in the cost, due to this being an interim contract, the works for this 9 month period were up to £4m. This cost was based on the number of jobs agreed to be completed by the contractor for this period which would not have altered according to the contract arrangement.

• The minutes of the 9^th of July meeting were referred to as providing information on taking forward an interim contract rather than  long term contract.

Further to considering exempt information at item 20,

RESOLVED

To agree, pursuant to CSO 7.01 (b) (by selecting one or more contractors from a Framework) and CSO 9.07.01(d) (All contracts valued at £500,000 (five hundred thousand pounds) or more may only be awarded by Cabinet), to award an interim highways contract, covering both planned and reactive highways works, to Marlborough Highways Limited for a period of up to 9 months and a maximum value of £4m (four million pounds) under the London Construction Programme (LCP) framework.

Reason for decision

The delivery of the Highways requirement, both planned and reactive, contribute to the delivery of a number of Council priorities, as well as supporting the Council in complying with its statutory duties arising out of the Highways Act 1980 and Traffic Management Act 2004.

The current provider (Ringway Jacobs) has commenced demobilisation activity, having assumed a new provider would be place by the end of September 2019. There have been continued challenges with the current provider in delivery of the works and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15