In a brief meeting, Councillor Sarah Williams, Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning (Deputy Leader), approved the appointment of a new contractor to complete the construction works at Topham Square Car Park, N17 7HL, and delegated authority to the Delivery Director to manage project contingencies. The decision aims to address the previous contractor's liquidation and ensure the delivery of new council homes, aligning with the council's commitment to build 3,000 new homes by 2031.

Topham Square Car Park Construction

Councillor Sarah Williams approved the appointment of Contractor A to complete the construction works at Topham Square Car Park, N17 7HL, following the liquidation of the original contractor. The Cabinet Member also approved the total scheme costs and delegated authority to the Delivery Director, Robbie Erbmann, to sign off on instructions related to project contingencies.

The council had previously approved construction contracts for the Topham Square Car Park developments in March 2022 and July 2023. After the original contractor entered liquidation in December 2024, the council secured the site and initiated a competitive procurement process using the London Construction Programme Minor Works Dynamic Purchasing System, under the JCT Intermediate Building Contract 2016¹. The appointment of Contractor A was based on a formal tender process. According to the Public Reports Pack, Strategic Procurement noted that the procurement was tendered competitively via the London Construction Programme (LCP) Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) under the Minor Works category, in line with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 8.01 and Regulation 34 of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015². The report stated that:

Contractor A offered the Most Economically Advantageous Tender and demonstrated value for money to the Council.

Alternative options, such as demolishing the structures or selling the partially completed sites, were considered but rejected because they did not align with the council's commitment to delivering new council homes and would result in a significant financial loss . The project aims to deliver four homes, contributing to the council's objective of providing 3,000 social rent homes. The scheme is included in the recently approved HRA business plan³. The council has a Public Sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010⁴. The report noted that the decision to complete the construction works is likely to have a positive impact on individuals in temporary accommodation and those vulnerable to homelessness, particularly women, young people, and BAME communities, who are over-represented in temporary accommodation. Some of the new homes are fully accessible for wheelchair users, benefiting residents with disabilities.