A report detailing the procurement of enforcement agency services for collecting parking and traffic penalty charge notices is scheduled for discussion. The meeting will also cover general administrative matters.

Procurement of Enforcement Agency Services

A key item on the agenda is the proposed procurement of enforcement agency services to assist in collecting outstanding parking and traffic penalty charge notices (PCNs). The report outlines a plan to enter into a two-year contract, with no option for extension, for these services. This procurement is intended to replace the current arrangement with a single enforcement agency, CDER Group, which has been in place since April 2021.

The report highlights that the council issued approximately 397,000 PCNs in 2023/24, generating around £20 million in income, with about £2 million collected by the existing agency. The proposed procurement aims to diversify the council's approach to debt recovery by appointing multiple enforcement agencies. This is seen as a way to mitigate the risk associated with relying on a single provider and to foster healthy competition among agencies to improve collection rates.

Key aspects of the proposed contract include:

• Multiple Providers: Appointing several enforcement agencies to manage debt collection, rather than just one.
• Performance-Based Allocation: New cases will be allocated to agencies based on their operational and financial performance, with underperforming agencies potentially having their caseload reduced.
• Ethical Debt Collection: The revised contract specification includes enhanced provisions to protect vulnerable individuals and promote ethical debt collection practices.
• Cost Savings: The successful bidders will be required to reimburse the council the £10.00 Traffic Enforcement Centre (TEC) registration fee for each PCN, potentially saving the council around £600,000 annually.
• Persistent Evaders: New services are planned to target persistent evaders and drivers deliberately avoiding vehicle registration, aiming for a more robust debt recovery approach.

The report also details the statutory fees associated with enforcement, which are borne by the debtors. These fees are legislated and include stages for compliance, enforcement, and sale of goods. The council's current collection rate through CDER Group is between 16-20%, and the aim is to exceed 20% with the new multi-agency approach.

The procurement will be conducted via the YPO Framework, a purchasing organisation used by local authorities. The report notes that while joint procurement with other council services was considered, it was not feasible due to contract value limitations. An Equality Impact Assessment screening tool has been completed, concluding that a full assessment is not required due to existing statutory protections for vulnerable debtors and the fact that the proposal is not a significant change to current policy.

The report seeks approval from the Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality to initiate and execute this procurement process.

Filming at Meetings

Attendees are informed that the meeting may be filmed or recorded for broadcast. Members of the public attending are advised that they may be filmed or recorded by others, and by attending, they consent to this. The Chair of the meeting has the discretion to terminate or suspend filming if it disrupts proceedings or infringes on rights.