The Officer Key Decision meeting on Tuesday 1 September 2026 was scheduled to consider a tender for works related to the Forest Lane Park Restoration Project. This project aims to restore the park's infrastructure, improve entrances, enhance its water bodies and biodiversity, and upgrade play and fitness equipment.

Forest Lane Park Restoration Project (Lucel Tate Remembered) - National Lottery Heritage Fund Grant Funded Works Tender

The meeting was scheduled to consider a pre-procurement report for the construction works associated with the Forest Lane Park (Lucel Tate Remembered) project. This project has received grant funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The report recommended that officers commence a procurement exercise for a single-stage construction works contract, using the JCT Intermediate Building Contract with Contractors Design 2024 form of contract. The estimated total value for these works is £700,000, and the tender process is to be conducted in line with the council's procurement procedures and the requirements of the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The restoration works are intended to address the physical condition of Forest Lane Park and improve its accessibility and appeal to residents. Specific aims include:

• Restoring the park's basic infrastructure, such as footpaths, signage, interpretation panels, and street furniture.
• Creating two new entrances to help mitigate anti-social behaviour.
• Restoring the park's water bodies, including repairing eroded banks, thinning vegetation, and implementing recommendations from an Ecological Appraisal to enhance biodiversity.
• Replacing or upgrading play equipment and installing new outdoor fitness equipment.

The project aligns with the council's towards a Better Newham Strategy, specifically supporting Pillar 4, which focuses on residents' health, happiness, safety, and care, and Pillar 5, which aims to enable residents to live in accessible and inclusive neighbourhoods. It also supports the Building a Fairer Newham pledge to invest in children's play areas and Steps to a Healthier Newham initiative.

The report indicated that the project is within the approved capital programme. The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded a grant of £904,101, covering 84% of the total approved project cost, with the remaining 16% (£173,729) to be funded by the council. Any future revenue costs are expected to be accommodated within existing revenue budgets. The total estimated cost for the scheme across several financial years is £1,072,870, with funding sources including the Heritage Fund, borrowing, and the General Fund/Revenue.

The report also noted that the value of the proposed contract is below the threshold for services contracts governed by the Procurement Act 2023. However, the council's Contract Standing Orders require a tender process involving at least five bids, to be managed by the Strategic Procurement Unit using the e-tendering suite. An Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) was previously submitted at the grant acceptance stage.

Information regarding the decision-maker for this matter and the report's preparation in consultation with the National Lottery Heritage Fund is pending further evidence.