Purpose

This report sets out the recommended future contractual arrangement for Buckinghamshire Council’s two theatres as an Operating Agreement with associated lease, procured through a Competitive Flexible Procedure.

Decision

Recommendations:

1. 1.      To agree to proceed with a competitive procurement exercise for the operation of Aylesbury Waterside Theatre (AWT) and the Wycombe Swan Theatre in accordance with the Procurement Act 2023.  The form of the contracts would be an Operating Agreement with an associated lease to replace the expiring contracts in 2028 and 2029 respectively.
2. 2.      To note following the 2025 building condition surveys, additional survey work is required to establish future capital investment requirements. This information will be used to inform potential bidders during the procurement process. Any capital works required prior to entering into a new lease arrangement would be subject to consideration via the Council’s Medium Term Financial (MTFP) process.
3. 3.      To approve concurrent procurement of both theatres, with aligned timelines, while retaining separate contracts and venue-specific arrangements.
4. 4.       To note a further report will be submitted to Cabinet for a decision on the award of the contract to the successful bidder(s).