Purpose

City of Doncaster Council (CDC) is seeking to procure a compliant and cost-effective solution for the placement of statutory public notices, primarily within the printed press, ensuring legal compliance, transparency, and public accessibility.
As an Authority, CDC is required to carry out a range of statutory functions under various legislation, including the Traffic Management Act 2004, Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, Highways Act 1980, Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, amongst others. This legislation requires certain notices to be made publicly available via the printed press. While these are typically published in local newspapers, in some instances publication in national press is also required.
CDC currently produces approximately 1,200 notices per year that require press advertising.
Without a suitable contract in place, CDC would be at risk of failing to meet its statutory obligations to provide public notice.

Decision

To undertake a tender exercise to renew the supply contract for the provision of ongoing public advertising services, enabling CDC to publish statutory notices in local and national press.

Alternative options considered

No alternative options have been considered in this instance due to the statutory nature of the
requirement. The publication of certain public notices in the printed press is a legal obligation
placed on the Authority through a range of legislation. As such, CDC does not have the option to
cease or significantly alter this activity without failing to meet its statutory duties.

To meet procurement requirements, any contract for the provision of public notice advertising
services must be awarded through a compliant procurement exercise. Direct award or informal
arrangements would not meet the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules. As such, undertaking a
competitive tender process is the only viable and compliant route to securing the required
services and ensuring continuity of provision.