Service Unit: Strategic Planning

Project title: Borough Character Appraisal

Sequential number 341

Project Manager: Helen Harris

Background information Budget

Date approved ..2.12.08 ...... Amount...... £40 k ...... Spent to date ...0 ......

Also include

  • Action taken in an attempt to comply with Standing Orders including liaison with other authorities who have encountered similar issues.
  • Procedures in place to ensure future compliance with Standing Orders.
  • Nominated officer responsible for compiling evidence to support Best Value requirements for exceptions to competitive tendering.

A Brief for a Borough character appraisal was despatched on 18.9.08 to 5 consultants known to be able to provide the required services with proven track records. Considerable investigatory work went in to identifying potential suppliers both from a quality but also a price perspective. At the closing of submissions (10.10.08) there was only one expression of interest. This expression valued the work at £39,931 excluding VAT. Since that time the submission has been revised resulting in a total fee of £29,973 (excluding VAT). This represents outstanding value given the nature and scale of the work. The consultants have undertaken work for the Borough before (engaged to provide urban design guidance in relation to Town Centre North) where the Council received excellent value for the product.

As a consequence of the revised submission we have assessed the bid against the objectives, outputs and outcomes set out in the Tender document, and other than the cost the submission demonstrates an ability to achieve the project goals and provide the required work within the 4 month timescale.

Proposal for approval

It is proposed to instruct urban design consultants' to carry out a comprehensive character study for the Borough to support the planning framework for Poole. The specific skills to do this work are not available in-house in either the Planning Design and Control or Strategic Planning Service Units.

The work will form a crucial component of the evidence base to underpin delivery of the Council's Local Development Framework (LDF) supporting delivery of the Site Specific Allocations Development Plan Document. The LDF is a statutory requirement and Councillors have identified this particular piece of research as important to informing the future planning of Poole.

The work would be an evaluation of the Town's defining characteristics so that the Council can have a clear understanding of its characteristic qualities and opportunities in the future planning of Poole supporting the implementation of Poole's Core Strategy (going to Council 19 February for adoption). This would be demonstrated and monitored through the delivery and implementation of associated Development Plan Documents.

Reason(s) for not tendering

The Site Specific Allocations document needs to be finalised in the summer of 2009 ready for submission in the Autumn. The timescale for production of this document is agreed between the Borough of Poole and the Secretary of State. To inform this document this work needs to be commissioned now or else there is serious risk of the Council missing agreed timescales. The Site Specific Allocations Document needs to be in a form ready for formal consultation in the autumn. This work is estimated at taking about 4 months. This would take us to June. Members will need to consider the implications and there will need to be informal engagement prior to a document going to Council in September. Any delay in commissioning this work could jeopardise this timetable.

Housing and Planning Delivery Grant is awarded in part based on the Council's performance in delivering its LDF and in total the Council received about £250,000 last year for its performance in plan making and housing delivery. This funding could be put at risk if the Council's doesn't meet its agreed timescales for delivery of its LDF. Further failure to delivery its LDF could harm the objectives of the

Council in meeting key priorities set out in the corporate strategy e.g. revitalising our town centre, reducing Poole's carbon footprint and improving housing for local people.

and exception sought ( See Standing Orders for full text)

Approval is sought to waive the requirement for competitive tendering under Standing Order 23 by applying the following exception referred to in Standing Order 24 summarised as follows:

a) Negotiated tender with existing contractor. Requires approval by the Executive.

b) Supply of goods/materials/services if:

(i) sold only at fixed price;

(ii) prices controlled by trade organisations or government order;

(iii) limited number of contractors but reasonable number of these invited to submit tenders;

(iv) set up by other organisations ( contracting procedures equivalent to Borough of Poole ).

X c) Unforeseeable and required urgently. Requires agreement of Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Executive.

d) Repairs, supply of parts or updates for existing machinery, computers etc.

X e) Original estimate less than £25,000. ( Quotation procedure followed. )

Approval

Head of Service Unit...... Date 11.2.09

Head of Financial Services …………………………………………………………………………....Date 16.2..09

Chairman (only under 24a and 24c )...... ……………………...... Date

Vice-Chairman (only under 24a and 24c ) ...... Date ......