Purpose

Authority was sought from
Cabinet to enter into new contracts for works and services in
relation to the delivery of six projects, which form part of the
Pathfinder Pilot Scheme programme in Margate and
Ramsgate.

Decision

Cabinet authorised the procurement and award
of contracts for a number of procurements for projects in the
Simplification Pathfinder Project. These are as follows:
 
1. 
Margate Town Deal Walpole Pavilion - works contract;
2. 
Margate Town Deal Skatepark - works
contract;
3. 
Margate Town Deal Access Walpole Lift Structure - works
contract;
4. 
Levelling Up Fund Newington Community Centre Refurbishment and
Extension - works contract;
5.  Future
High Street Fund and Levelling Up Fund Broad Street Project - works
contract;
6. 
Margate Town Deal Theatre Royal Margate & 19 Hawley Square
Restoration, Conservation and Modernisation - professional service
contracts.

Reasons for the decision

The procurement awards
requested are over the £250,000 key decision threshold and
therefore require approval from cabinet. The works contracts
are required to deliver the main capital elements of five of the
schemes and the design team is required to move the Theatre Royal
project onto the next stage in the scheme's delivery.
 
The project teams have
considered a number of options for procuring these works, including
open procurement, dynamic purchasing systems and the use of a
complaint framework. Each project’s procurement route has
been selected based on its individual risks and
opportunities.

Alternative options considered

Each of the project procurements could follow
the same procurement strategy, with all of them using the same
method to procure the contractors. This would not provide
flexibility within the delivery programme, or value for money, and
may include missing out on the best contractors for the work. Some
of the procurement methods are not appropriate for the different
projects, therefore finding one method to suit all would be
difficult. This option was not recommended.
 
An alternative option to those selected for
approval is to do nothing, this would result in non-delivery of
these grant-funded schemes. This option was not recommended.