Purpose

To seek the Cabinet Member’s approval, under the Council’s Financial Regulations and Standing Orders and the Procurement Act 2023, to procure suitable Core Logging services with an expenditure of up to £0.480m for a period of three years.

To delegate authority to the Executive Director – Place to award the contract and progress delivery, including any necessary adjustments in line with the Council’s Financial Regulations.
 

Decision

The Cabinet Member:

1) approved, under the Council’s Financial Regulations and Standing Orders and the Procurement Act 2023, the procurement of suitable technical services, providing additional service capacity in line with the increase in capital programme, namely core logging and associated testing, with an expenditure of up to £0.480m for a period of three years; and

2) approved to delegate authority to the Executive Director – Place, in consultation with the Cabinet Member – Highways, to award the contract and progress delivery, including any necessary adjustments in line with the Council’s Financial Regulations. 

Reasons for the decision

Approval is required under the Council’s Financial Regulations and standing orders to procure the external Highways Materials Testing Services that the Highways Service requires. Failure to procure this service will have a negative impact on service delivery.

Delegating authority to the Executive Director - Place will enable the procurement exercise to commence. 

Alternative options considered

Option 1: Coring to be carried out internally - This would incur delays to wider works and disrupt the project and programme, resulting in additional costs and disruption to the public. This option was not recommended.

Option 2: Do not carry out any coring – This would result in unknown anomalies and unforeseen circumstances when resurfacing was carried out, which could create financial and delivery risk, environmental risks and negative public perception of the Council. This option was not recommended.

Option 3: The option presented in the report - This provides the greatest benefit to the Council, allowing additional capacity to work alongside existing Technical Service resource, to the same UKAS accreditation, thus mitigating risks to delivery.