This Officer Key Decision meeting of Newham Council concerned a single agenda item: the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House to create a Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre. Conrad Hall, Corporate Director of Resources, in consultation with the Lead Member for Health and Adult Social Care, was delegated to make the decision. The decision to award a contract for the first stage of the refurbishment to Buxton Building Contractors Limited was approved.

Lady Helen Seymour House Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre

The main item under consideration was the award of a two-stage contract to Buxton Building Contractors Limited for the refurbishment of Lady Helen Seymour House into a 42-bed Rough Sleeping Assessment Centre. The decision was to approve the award of the Stage 1 Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) contract to Buxton Building Contractors Limited, at a value of £254,228.70.

The council aims to create a centre that will deliver on key strategic priorities from Newham's Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy¹ by providing accommodation and support for rough sleepers. The centre will:

• Offer accommodation for rough sleepers directly from the street.
• Provide a high-quality, psychologically informed environment.
• Conduct comprehensive holistic assessments to understand individual needs.
• Offer wrap-around health and care support, utilising external agencies.
• Provide an internal 'step down' facility for rough sleepers who are able to live more independently.

The project is supported by grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), along with funding from the Carbon Offset Fund and prudential borrowing, giving a total capital allocation of £10.802m. The council is also set to receive £2.7m in revenue funding towards running the centre after completion.

A tender process was initiated using the Procure Partnership Procure London Framework². Five contractors were invited to tender, with Buxton Building Contractors Limited emerging as the successful bidder. The tender process involved some revisions, including addressing issues with clarification responses, an incorrect formula in the pricing document, and the form of tender. After a roll-back period, four tender responses were received, but one bidder was disqualified for failing to remove post-tender qualifications.

The tenders were evaluated based on 50% quality, 40% price, and 10% social value. Buxton Building Contractors Limited's Stage 1 PCSA fixed cost was £254,228.70, with an estimated stage 2 cost of £8,208,715.90.

During Stage 1, the contractor will develop and manage the design and submit costings. A further report will be submitted to request approval to enter into the Stage 2 JCT Design and Build Contract³ upon completion of Stage 1. Alternative options, such as not proceeding with the contract, were considered but rejected due to the risk of losing external funding.

The project aligns with the council's corporate policies and priorities, including the Building a Fairer Newham Corporate Plan 2022-2026, the 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham initiative, the Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Strategy, and the Climate Action Just Transition Plan.

The Public reports pack provides a detailed breakdown of the project's budget, costs, and programme dates.