Purpose

This report records the decision to award a
contract for the provision of Planning, Land Charges and Building
Control databases.

Decision

For the reasons set out in this report, the
Corporate Director has decided to:
1)   
 Award a contract for the provision of
Planning, Land Charges and Building Control databases to Idox
Software Ltd commencing on the 1st January 2026 for a period of three
years, with an option to extend the contract for up to one year, at
an indicative cost of £182,946.56 (excluding VAT), subject to
an annual CPI uplift, for the primary term.
 

Alternative options considered

“Do nothing” – This option
has been discounted as it would result in service failure as
back offices databases are essential to
deliver the Planning and Building Control service.
 
“In house provision” – the
Council does not have in-house expertise to build suitable
databases.
 
Open Tender – The G-cloud framework was
utilised rather than an open tender as the G-Cloud framework
offered a more efficient and cost-effective route to market.
Developing a bespoke specification for the somewhat standard
services would have required significant officer time and
resources, particularly given the complexity and breadth of the
services involved. By utilising G-Cloud, the Council was able to
access pre-vetted suppliers and standardised service descriptions,
which reduced procurement lead times and administrative burden.
This approach also ensured compliance with Public Contract
Regulations 2015, which are applicable in this case, while enabling
the Council to secure competitive pricing and terms without the
need for a full tender exercise.