The Publishable Officer Decisions meeting of Hounslow Council on Tuesday 22 April 2025 approved the direct award of the CCTV Maintenance Contract to Tyco & Fire Integrated Solutions (UK) Limited t/a Tyco Integrated Fire & Security for a twelve-month period. This decision was made due to the urgency of maintaining CCTV services and the complexities of a new procurement process.

Direct Award of CCTV Maintenance Contract

The meeting approved the direct award of the CCTV Maintenance Contract to Tyco & Fire Integrated Solutions (UK) Limited t/a Tyco Integrated Fire & Security. This contract will run for twelve months, from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, at a value of £537,012.

The decision was made because the previous four-year framework contract, which Hounslow Council led for Ealing, Islington, and Southwark, expired on 31 March 2025. It was not practicable to complete a full procurement exercise for a new framework in time due to the complex nature of the work and delays in internal approvals from the lead borough, Islington. This delay has provided an opportunity to consider all delivery and procurement options during the twelve-month direct award period.

The rationale for the direct award is based on Schedule 5, paragraph 7 of the Procurement Act 2023¹, which allows for the continuation of services from an existing supplier to avoid detriment to the delivery of council functions. Specifically, a change in supplier would result in disproportionate technical difficulties in the operation and maintenance of the CCTV system, as Tyco & Fire Integrated Solutions (UK) Limited has extensive knowledge of the borough's existing CCTV infrastructure. The company has also demonstrated a willingness to go beyond contractual agreements, such as allowing camera testing before purchase.

The contract value represents an increase of £97,139 compared to the previous year. This rise is attributed to the addition of 130 new cameras to the network during 2024-2025 and the inclusion of full twelve months of maintenance costs for these new cameras in the 2025-2026 price. The increase also accounts for RPI at 3.56%, amounting to £18,460. The total cost will be covered by the Safer Communities Service (£387,012), Housing (£80,000), and Transport and Parking budgets (£70,000).

The report highlighted that the CCTV system plays a crucial role in keeping Hounslow safe, supporting the Council's priorities of 'A Safer Hounslow' and 'A Cleaner Hounslow', and the borough's Safer Communities Strategy 24-27². The system is also relied upon by the Police for crime detection and solving anti-social behaviour. Furthermore, the CCTV cameras are instrumental in deterring and detecting illegal waste disposal, contributing to the Council's Climate Emergency Action Plan.

The decision was deemed urgent, and the Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee agreed that it would not be subject to the call-in provisions, as a delay could seriously prejudice the interests of the Council and the public. The Interim Chief Executive, Mandy Skinner³, made this decision under delegated authority due to the urgency.