Issue - meetings

Report ES17047

The professional services element of the Council’s duties to ensure safe use of the highway infrastructure and use of its multi storey car park asset has been delivered using Consulting Engineers, the broader service including inspection/studies of structures (bridges, culverts, retaining walls), engineering emergencies involving the highway, ad hoc Transport and Flood Studies, larger highway development schemes and inspection/studies of the Council’s stock of multi storey car parks.

The current contract was awarded to AECOM from 21^st July 2016 (tendered rates being approximately 8% lower than equivalent rates in the previous contract) and tendered using the Council’s Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) Multidisciplinary Framework Contract, the Framework ending on 3^rd November 2018. The contract award to AECOM was made on an initial one year basis with provision to extend the service to the Framework end date subject to satisfactory performance. Overall, AECOM has generally delivered a satisfactory performance across the range of activities undertaken for the Council.

Given the broader review of Highway contracts, the tender for the Highways ‘bundle’ was likely to be undertaken in 2018, with a targeted contract start date of 1^st April 2019. The Highway Engineering Consultancy Service was expected to be included as a lot in the Highways bundle and it was considered appropriate to extend the current contract with AECOM to 3^rd November 2018 (the Framework end date). Work ordered in advance of the Framework end date could also be extended beyond the expiry of the Framework (by up to five years) which would enable continued access to highway engineering services between the Framework end date and 31^st March 2019. 

It was confirmed to Members that when tendering for the current service a mini competition was undertaken via the framework and AECOM provided best value.

RESOLVED that the Executive be recommended to:

(1)  extend use of the current contract with AECOM for the provision of Highway Engineering Consultancy Services until the HCA Framework end date of 3^rd November 2018; and

(2)  extend use of AECOM for the provision of Highway Engineering Consultancy Services for the period 3^rd November 2018 to 31^st March 2019.