Purpose

The timeframe to undertake community engagement across three new parish councils to be formed on 1 April 2027 and to support the budget development activity to then underpin the ultimate precept setting by the District Council in January 2027 for those parish councils requires an early appointment of a specialist contractor an commencement of that work. A delay will risk undermining that process. The nature of the work represents a continuation of work undertaken by the contractor during the CGR process.

Decision

(1) To note that the Leader of the Council and the Council's Section 151 Officer agree to the exemption from the Council's Procedure Rules to enable the award of a contract in (2) below on the basis that it provides for the continuation of work already undertaken during the CGR process and the specialist nature of the work for which the contractor is best placed to supply; and
(2) To enter into a contract with Essex Association of Local Councils to undertake a range of work with the District Council to support the transition from the decision to create three new parish councils to them commencing in existence from 1 April 2027 in the sum of £52,500 (on the basis that £25,000 would be recoverable from across three new parish councils).
Associated report to follow

Alternative options considered

The District Council did consider the option of undertaking the necessary work itself. However, capacity would have prevented that. In addition, the specialist nature of the work would have required knowledge that would, itself, have been problematic for the District Council to secure. The timeline to the new parish councils coming into existence required the work to be undertaken swiftly.