Purpose

The Sandwell Youth Buses are a mobile facility
for young people providing opportunities to engage in positive
activities and a safe space to access information and support.
There are high demands on the use of the Youth Buses. They are an
effective tool to get young people engaged with youth workers in
areas that may not have any youth provision or areas that may be
suffering from anti-social behaviour. Youth Workers can then
develop programmes and projects with the young people to address
their needs / issues.

The new vehicles will be used to visit locations within Sandwell
where young people can utilise facilities on board. This ensures
every young person has access to high quality youth work and youth
provision in their towns and neighbourhoods, providing them with
something to do, somewhere to go and someone to talk to, enabling
them to thrive and achieve their full potential.

Youth Services currently operate two vehicles:

• YS001 – A 23-year-old DAF double deck bus that has
been converted into a mobile youth facility.
• YS002 – A 16-year-old Volvo that has also been
converted into a mobile youth project facility.

Due to their age, both vehicles are suffering more frequent and
lengthy breakdowns, the downtime of which is impacting the service
provided to the young people of Sandwell. New vehicles will incur
significantly less downtime from breakdowns, repairs and parts
delays.

In accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules, a
full procurement exercise will be undertaken for the conversion of
the vehicles into mobile youth provision. The conversions are
expected to take in the region of 3 months with an expected cost of
£100,000 each. This will also be funded from COMF.

Both vehicles are planned for completion week 15 (w/c 10 April
2023) this is subject to supply chain lead times and may change.
Advanced payment will be made on the 27 March 2023 of 50%
(£257,995) the reminder will be paid upon delivery through
COMF.

The funding will be made available to Youth Services and Fleet
Services to complete the purchase of the vehicles through the TPPL
framework.

Consultation with Procurement Services has taken place who are
satisfied that the route to market complies with Public Contract
Regulation and the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules.

Content

That approval be given to replace two diesel
double deck buses using Contain (COVID) Outbreak Management Fund
(COMF) funding to the total value of £515,990 plus VAT
(£619,188).

That the Director of Children and Education be authorised, in
accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules, to
direct award to Alexander Dennis via the TPPL (The Procurement
Partnership Limited) framework for the supply and delivery of two
diesel double deck buses for Youth Services and to make the
necessary arrangements to convert them into youth buses through
Fleet Services.