Decision

The Chief Executive has:

1.endorsed the contract award to Ion Property Development Ltd (Ion) via the Pagabo Development Partner Framework Agreement, Schedule 12d – Development Management Agreement for:

a. the undertaking of Development Management services on behalf of the council relating to enabling the relocation of the current Cadent gas infrastructure on the Hind Street site to enable site remediation for redevelopment to take place; and

b. planning consultancy services and development of traffic signal detailed designs and models;
at a contract value of £215,830

2.authorised via the Pagabo Development Partner Framework Agreement, Schedule 12d – Development Management Agreement for appointment of Ion to a contract to carry out further commissions and development management services at an additional contract cost of £226,938

Reasons for the decision

The Borough Yard (Hind Street) regeneration area is a brownfield site of circa 20 hectares adjacent to Birkenhead Town Centre. The scale and location of the regeneration area presents an opportunity to create a sustainable, market changing urban village that helps to set a standard for future development in the face of the climate emergency.

The regeneration of Hind Street plays a significant role in supporting the Council’s Local Plan by enabling up to 1600 new homes to be built during the plan period and ancillary commercial and community uses are proposed to be located to the north of the site to complement and interface with the regeneration of the town centre, serving both the new residential community at Hind Street and wider Birkenhead population.

A Development Management Agreement is required for Ion Property Developments Ltd (“Ion”) to undertake development management services to deliver the infrastructure enabling works phase of the scheme on behalf of the Council and as per the full business case developed in conjunction with the scheme funders.

Further to a previous published Officer decision, of 7 March 2022 the Council entered into a contract with Ion Development Ltd (Ion) via the Pagabo Developer led Framework for Hind Street South – Development Management Services. The Council appointed Ion as the contractor tasked with progressing the project to the point of contract award for the infrastructure and enabling works and securing planning and funding approvals.

On 27 May 2025 the Director of Regeneration and Place approved a contract award to Ion with a contract value of £215,830 for:
(1) the undertaking of Development Management services on behalf of the council relating to enabling the relocation of the current Cadent gas infrastructure on the Hind Street site to enable site remediation for redevelopment to take place; and
(2) planning consultancy services and development of traffic signal detailed designs and models.

The above appointment was via the Pagabo Development Partner Framework Agreement, Schedule 12d – Development Management Agreement. Whilst the decision was made by the relevant Director it was not published.

The need has arisen for additional consultant appointments including requirements for:

• Geotechnical Options and Detailed Design
• Civil and Geo-environmental technical advice
• Updates to Technical Drawings and engagement on interface requirements
• Assessment of NHBC Technical Information
• Design and Modelling work to advance design options
• Additional ground investigation for geotechnical design
• Stage 2 Road Safety Audit
• Build contract negotiations and planning support
• Specialist street lighting design and coordination

The requirement for this work has been identified as critical to maintain programme alignment as failure to undertake at this stage would delay formalising the NEC4 Option A contract (main works contract for built environment procurement) for the scheme within prescribed timescales of funding agreements.

The total value of the proposed DM4 contract is £442,768 including the £226,938 approved via this decision. There is provision within the current contract for this extension, whereby further commissions may be instructed under. These additional services may include engaging consultants or contractors to carry out professional services relating to the development site.

All costs for additional instructions will be met by the Borough Yard capital programme in the interim at risk and additional further grant support allocated by funders for specific tasks. Following completion of approvals process for Grant Funding Agreements for Borough Yard scheme cost of additional works will be reimbursed via grant provided by funders for the primary enabling works

Alternative options considered

The number of new homes which can be built at Hind Street is significant. The Local Plan imperative for adopting a brownfield urban site strategy strengthens the opinion that a do-nothing option be discounted given the significant role that the regeneration of the Hind Street can play in this strategy.

An alternative option would be for the Council to not commission the additional services. This option has been discounted to ensure continuity of services from an experienced developer, and importantly these services will provide a greater level of cost certainty to the main construction contract.

It may have been possible to look to procure a Development Manager via an alternative procurement framework, but this has been discounted as the operative provisions of the Pagabo Framework were considered to be the most suitable and have been used for previous Development Management Agreements.