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DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST RELATING TO THIS ITEM:
 
None
 

RESOLVED:
 
That Cabinet:
 
1.   
Approved the commencement of a procurement in accordance with
CSO?2.01(b) to appoint a panel of external property professionals
to deliver valuations, valuation advice, and technical and
structural surveys for up to a three?year term from Quarter?3 of
2026/27 to Quarter?3 of 2029/30, with the option to extend by up to
24?months.

2.   
Delegated authority to the Cabinet Member for Housing, in
consultation with the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources,
to award the contract(s) to the most economically advantageous
bidder(s) following a compliant process, provided the award(s) were
within the approved budget envelope set out in the exempt
report.

3.   
Authorised the Corporate Director of Finance and Resources to issue
and execute any ancillary documents and implement the contract(s),
including exercising options within the contract term.
 

Reasons for decision:

The current
valuers’ contract was expiring and did not cover the full
range of services and geographies required. The Acquisitions
Programme was scaling to approximately 250 acquisitions per annum
for the foreseeable future, requiring a comprehensive and flexible
professional support model capable of handling both routine
street?property acquisitions and complex block transactions,
including mixed?use and S106 units.
 

Alternative options considered:

Do nothing: This
option was discounted as it would have created a critical gap in
due?diligence capacity and risked programme slippage and
sub?optimal value.

Extend the current
arrangement: This option was discounted because the current
valuers’ scope was too narrow for the expanding needs of the
programme, lacking flexibility for block acquisitions and
out?of?borough coverage, and not
providing sufficient capacity.

Deliver the work
in?house only: This option was discounted as there was insufficient
internal capacity and specialist expertise to meet the volume and
complexity of the acquisitions programme.