In a meeting on Monday, 1 December 2025, Haringey Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families approved the award of a contract for construction-related consultancy services for the Park View Secondary School Block A roof replacement project. The contract, valued at up to £688,956.80, was awarded to Consultant B to support the replacement of the Block A roof and a section of the Block B roof at Park View School. A letter of intent to the value of £100,000 was also approved.

Here's a breakdown of the key discussion points:

Park View Secondary School Block A Roof Replacement

The Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families approved the recommendations to award a contract to Consultant B for construction-related multi-disciplinary consultancy services, and to approve the issuance of a letter of intent. This decision was made following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) ¹ in the structural slab of the roof of Block A at Park View School.

Background

In April 2023, concerns about the potential failure and collapse of the RAAC led to the immediate vacation of the top floor of Block A, which housed 14 classrooms and office space. While the other floors were deemed safe for use, a curriculum and space analysis determined that the school required temporary accommodation, including 13 classrooms, a shared office, and four toilets.

Interim teaching arrangements involved using shared spaces like the sports gym, which was deemed unsustainable due to its impact on teaching quality and the need to use the gym for GCSE exams. In May 2023, a contract was awarded to Portakabin Ltd to provide temporary accommodation by September 2023 for an 18-month period. The construction and installation were completed on schedule. The Director of Schools and Learning and the Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families later approved extensions to the rental period while a permanent solution was developed.

In September 2024, a multi-disciplinary design team was appointed to conduct a feasibility study to determine the best way to remediate the RAAC. Funding for the recommended approach, which involves replacing the roof containing RAAC, was secured from the Department for Education (DfE) in May 2025. The plan includes removing all RAAC panels from the school and installing a new deck and roof covering on Block A and the affected section of Block B. Consequential works, such as removing and reinstating internal partitions, windows, and services, are also part of the proposal. To minimise disruption, levels 2 and 3 of Block A and a section of Block B will need to be vacated, with temporary classrooms provided in addition to those already in place. Once the works are completed, students will return to their classrooms in Blocks A and B, and all temporary accommodation will be removed.

The council determined that an architect-led, multi-disciplinary design team was needed to develop the design from RIBA ² stages 2 to 6 and assist Haringey in preparing funding application documents for the DfE.

Procurement

A proposal to procure the design team using the London Construction Programme Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) was approved by the Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Families on 3 September 2025, after soft market engagement indicated positive interest and availability.

The DfE has agreed to reimburse Haringey for most of the costs related to the roof replacement and temporary accommodation, but Haringey will be responsible for funding some elements, primarily internal resource costs. The council determined that all temporary accommodation is necessary for Haringey to fulfil its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, and the permanent removal of RAAC aligns with UK Government guidance issued in August 2023.

A 20% risk allowance was recommended for design development, based on the priced risk log and pending further surveys. This contingency ensures that the design team fees align with the maximum forecast construction costs.

Alternative Options Considered

The report outlined several alternative options that were considered but ultimately rejected:

• Do nothing: This was deemed unacceptable as the DfE requires the removal of all RAAC, and it would result in the council failing its statutory duty to provide sufficient school places.
• In-house: The council currently lacks the internal resources, expertise, and qualifications to deliver this service.
• Invite open tenders via Contracts Finder: This would have prolonged the tender period and delayed the project.
• Extension of contract for the design team that carried out the feasibility study: This would not comply with Public Procurement Regulations, necessitating a new tender exercise.
• Use an alternative public sector DPS: This would not comply with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 8.02, as the LCP DPS was deemed suitable for the requirements.

Evaluation of Tenders

Three consultants submitted tenders, which were assessed based on a 50:40:10 ratio for quality, price, and social value. A minimum quality score of 50% was set as a benchmark. Consultant B achieved the highest overall score of 73.94%.

Financial Implications

The award value includes an allowance for surveys and a 10% contingency allowance, which will be managed under change control governance arrangements. Budget information, including total anticipated project costs, is detailed in Part B exempt information.

Contribution to Corporate Delivery Plan

The project aligns with the Corporate Delivery Plan 2024-2026, supporting objectives such as:

• A zero carbon and climate resilient Haringey, specifically net zero carbon schools.
• Best start in life.
• Successful futures.

Carbon and Climate Change Considerations

The works will comply with Haringey's Local Development Policies and include:

• Provision of a green roof.
• Addition of a photovoltaic array.

These measures aim to improve building energy costs and reduce thermal build-up within the building.

Statutory Officer Comments

• Finance: Comments are detailed in Part B.
• Procurement: Strategic Procurement (SP) noted that the competitive tender was launched via the LCP's Minor Works DPS Architectural and Urban Planning service category, in line with Contract Standing Order (CSO) 8.01 and Regulation 34 of the Public Contract Regulations 2015. SP supports the recommendation to approve the award in accordance with CSO 2.01 (c).
• Legal: The Director of Legal and Governance (Monitoring Officer) confirmed that the tendering process complied with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and that there were no legal reasons preventing the Cabinet Member from approving the recommendations.
• Equality: An equality impact assessment found that the project is not expected to have any significant impact on people with protected characteristics. The temporary building is DDA ³ compliant, and any additional temporary buildings will be subject to the same requirements.