Purpose

The Council has a statutory duty to provide
street name plates, which are important not just in terms of
helping the general public find their way, but also to guide the
emergency services when responding to urgent calls, including at
night and when the weather is poor. The Council had a supplier of
street name plates who had won the work following a competitive
tendering exercise, but the company in question went into
administration.
 
In 2024 an exemption from Contract Standing
Orders was granted to allow the Council to purchase street name
plates from an alternative supplier (G&G Signs Ltd) who were
one of the other bidders in the earlier competitive tendering
exercise and who are able to manufacture street name plates to the
Council’s specifications. A contract for street name plates
for 1 year was entered into in October 2024.
 
A further exemption from the requirement for
competition in Contract Standing Orders has been agreed on the
grounds of urgency to cover the provision of street name plates for
orders placed in 2025/2026, in order for the Council to be able to
continue to meet its statutory duty and to avoid a loss of
service.
The alternative decision would be to wait
until a full procurement exercise has been carried out but there is
insufficient time to allow for this. Orders to a maximum value of
£20,000 are required for the remainder of
the 2025/2026 financial year. There is money
within the budget to cover the relevant contractual cost.

Decision

To enter into a contract for the supply of
street name plates with G&G Signs Ltd to a maximum value of
£20,000 for a period of one year.
 
Reason:
To ensure that the street name plates can be
installed in a timely manner.