Decision

For the Assistant Director for Capital Projects and Property to vary the contract to Longley Group Ltd by the sum of £163,376.93 to extend their provision of scaffolding in the form of a crash deck at Hornsey Library.

Reasons for the decision

The mitigation works to the RAAC roof at Hornsey Library remains in the design stage. The Contract award and PO expired in December 2024. The scaffold is still in situ, enabling the library to remain open for the present period.
It has been determined that the best demonstration of value for money would be to extend the existing contract and continue to pay the weekly hire rate of £2,372 until such a time as the scaffold is no longer necessary.
This approach will reduce disruption to the library service, particularly since Muswell Hill Library is already closed and due to reopen in March.

Alternative options considered

Do nothing – a decision not to support the increase in value of this contract will result in the Council being unable to pay the contract for services received up to January 2025. This would result in the contractor removing the scaffold deck, and the closure of the library until such a time that the roof is made safe or mitigated. This would cause poor public relations
Re-tender - To re-tender this scaffold contract at this stage would involve the closure of the library to remove the scaffold. The library could not be reopened until such a time that the procurement exercise was concluded, the contract let, and contractor mobilized, and the roof structure made safe.