Issue - meetings

Report of the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources (S151 Officer. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Housing & Planning (Deputy Leader)

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST RELATING TO THIS ITEM:

None

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1.    Approved the commencement of a procurement in accordance with CSO?2.01(b) to appoint a panel of external property professionals to deliver valuations, valuation advice, and technical and structural surveys for up to a three?year term from Quarter?3 of 2026/27 to Quarter?3 of 2029/30, with the option to extend by up to 24?months.

2.    Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Housing, in consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources, to award the contract(s) to the most economically advantageous bidder(s) following a compliant process, provided the award(s) were within the approved budget envelope set out in the exempt report.

3.    Authorised the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources to issue and execute any ancillary documents and implement the contract(s), including exercising options within the contract term.

Reasons for decision:

The current valuers’ contract was expiring and did not cover the full range of services and geographies required. The Acquisitions Programme was scaling to approximately 250 acquisitions per annum for the foreseeable future, requiring a comprehensive and flexible professional support model capable of handling both routine street?property acquisitions and complex block transactions, including mixed?use and S106 units.

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing: This option was discounted as it would have created a critical gap in due?diligence capacity and risked programme slippage and sub?optimal value.

Extend the current arrangement: This option was discounted because the current valuers’ scope was too narrow for the expanding needs of the programme, lacking flexibility for block acquisitions and out?of?borough coverage, and not providing sufficient capacity.

Deliver the work in?house only: This option was discounted as there was insufficient internal capacity and specialist expertise to meet the volume and complexity of the acquisitions programme.