Agenda item

Report CS18121

The Committee considered a report providing an update on service proposals and procurement strategy for the development and management of a modular home provision in the Borough.

At its meeting of 24^th May 2017, the Council’s Executive agreed to the principle of inviting bids from potential suppliers for the development and management of a modular constructed site in York Rise, Orpington in response to the sharp increase in the number of households requiring temporary accommodation in recent years.  The proposed scheme was subject to further market engagement to inform the tender and specification, and it was requested that a feasibility study be undertaken considering both the suitability of the site to host a modular home provision and potential length of use.  This work had now been completed and it was proposed a tendering process be initiated for a supplier to deliver a ‘turn-key’ solution for the establishment and management of a modular home provision in York Rise, Orpington that would provide self-contained living accommodation to a high quality specification for a period of 15 years.  It was also proposed that a schedule of rates be developed that could be used for alternative modular sites across the Borough and would be uplifted on an annual basis using the Consumer Price Index. 

Member comments contributing towards the scrutiny of this report were received from Councillor Charles Joel and Councillor Tim Stevens and these are attached at Appendix B.

In emphasising his support for the use of modular sites to provide temporary accommodation, a Member was concerned at the lack of consultation with Ward Members and local residents.  Members discussed the importance of engaging with Ward Members, local residents and residents’ associations about potential in-Borough temporary accommodation schemes at the earliest stages to build support and allow schemes to be developed in a way that suited the distinct communities across the Borough.  Members underlined the need to review the communications strategy for proposed temporary accommodation schemes and requested that the Director: Housing arrange a meeting to brief Ward Councillors on the proposed scheme as soon as possible.

A Member noted that it was proposed that any procurement process taken forward for the proposed scheme would evaluate tenders based on 60% price and 40% quality.  The Director: Housing confirmed that this was the Local Authority’s standard weighting to evaluate tenders, and that there was a minimum quality qualifying score criteria to ensure that all tenders met a defined level of quality.  The Member suggested that tenders should be evaluated on an individual basis and would raise this as a concern at a future meeting of the Contracts’ Sub-Committee.

In considering the wording of the second recommendation of the Care Services PDS Committee, Members agreed that this be amended to state that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

“2) Approve the use of the identified site, York Rise for the use of modular constructed accommodation, subject to appropriate planning permission being agreed”.

RESOLVED that the Council’s Executive be recommended to:

1)  Proceed to formal tender for a provision of modular build accommodation together with a management contract for a period of 15 years  as set out in Paragraph 3.6 of Report CS18121;

2)  Approve the use of the identified site, York Rise for the use of modular constructed accommodation, subject to appropriate planning permission being agreed;

3)  Agree in principal that Officers look to identify other suitable sites for use of modular homes which will be reported back to the Council’s Executive as and when identified; and,

4)  Note that capital funding may be required for the preparation, construction and planning of any modular home site and that this would be dealt with in the award report.