Issue - meetings

1.      That following pre-market engagement, the procurement of a new Grounds Maintenance and Street Cleansing contract be approved for an initial term of up to 8 years, with an extension option of up to a further 8 years and within existing budgets.

2.      That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director with responsibility for grounds maintenance and street cleansing, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member and the Section 151 Officer, to conduct a competitive and compliant procurement and award the contract within the existing budget, with flexibility to adjust the contract term within a range of 3 to 16 years total duration as informed by pre-market engagement and value for money assessment.

3.      That the financial implications, risk management measures and timetable be noted as set out in report CAB3528.

Councillor Learney introduced the report which set out proposals regarding the procurement of the contract, noting that these should take account of the impacts of the ongoing Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) programme, together the with the outcome of the Community Governance review (CGR).

At the invitation of the Leader, Councillors Lee and Horrill addressed Cabinet as summarised briefly below.

Councillor Lee

Councillor Lee emphasised the importance of this significant contract and acknowledged the risks associated with the procurement timeline running into the period of LGR structural change orders and restrictions.   He requested that the contract specifications adopt best practice for managing biodiversity and minimising chemical use, specifically urging the council to strengthen policy by requiring ecological pre-checks before vegetation works year-round and aspiring to a pesticide-free grounds maintenance service, consistent with the council's climate and nature emergency commitments.

Councillor Bolton

Councillor Bolton believed that the procurement plan was a prudent exercise, noting the integration of robust KPIs and environmental priorities, but expressed concern that it was not being used as an opportunity to deliver radical transformational cost reduction and service redesign. He believed that the proposal to enter into a long-term agreement (up to 16 years) was a missed opportunity to challenge costs and asked for assurance that the core principles of the TC25 financial transformation strategy would genuinely be applied throughout this procurement process.

Councillor Learney and the Corporate Head of Service Place responded to the comments made, including confirming that it was intended to build flexibility into the contract in order to address the demands faced by the changing climate, including examining best practice from other local authorities.

Cabinet members and invited councillors present confirmed they did not wish to move into exempt session to ask any questions on the exempt appendix.

Cabinet agreed to the following for the reasons set out in the report and outlined above.

RESOLVED:

1.          That following pre-market engagement, the procurement of a new Grounds Maintenance and Street Cleansing contract be approved for an initial term of up to 8 years, with an extension option of up to a further 8 years and within existing budgets.

2.          That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director with responsibility for grounds maintenance and street cleansing, in consultation with the appropriate Cabinet Member and the Section 151 Officer, to conduct a competitive and compliant procurement and award the contract within the existing budget, with flexibility to adjust the contract term within a range of 3 to 16 years total duration as informed by pre-market engagement and value for money assessment.

3.          That the financial implications, risk management measures and timetable be noted as set out in the report.

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