Agenda item - Parking Enforcement Procurement Strategy

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture

1)             That the Committee agrees to proceed with option three of the procurement strategies set out in the independent consultant’s report and in the main body of this report which was endorsed as the preferred option by the Procurement Advisory Board.

90.1      The Committee considered a report on the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture that presented the findings of the independent consultants engaged to evaluate procurement options for the parking enforcement contract and associated services, including in-house and made recommendation that a preferred option be approved.

90.2      Councillor Williams moved a motion to add a recommendation 2.2 and 2.3 as shown in bold italics below:

2.1    That the Committee agrees to proceed with option three of the procurement strategies set out in the independent consultant’s report and in the main body of this report which was endorsed as the preferred option by the Procurement Advisory Board.

2.2      That the contract be awarded for an initial period of 3 years, with a possible extension of up to 2 years.

2.3      That during the initial 3-year phase, officers explore options to bring the entire enforcement contract in-house.

90.3      Councillor Appich formally seconded the motion.

90.4      In relation to the amendment, Councillor Hills stated that the Procurement Advisory Board (PAB) had supported the Independent Consultant findings and to repeat the process as soon as the contract started did not seem a sensible use of limited resources.

90.5      Councillor Williams stated that PAB was just an advisory body and she was reluctant to give up the in-house option when it could realise good value for money.

90.6      The Head of Parking Services stated that the review had been very rigorous and had taken 18 months to complete. That represented significant work for the team that had led to the temporary pause of the modernisation programme and it was his view that to restart the review when it was only just complete would be cause for concern for ongoing service delivery.

90.7      Councillor Williams stated that the review would be less intensive as it could encompass and build upon what had already been learned.

90.8      The Chair then put the motion to the vote that failed.

90.9      The Chair then put the recommendations to the vote that were agreed.

90.10   RESOLVED-

1)             That the Committee agrees to proceed with option three of the procurement strategies set out in the independent consultant’s report and in the main body of this report which was endorsed as the preferred option by the Procurement Advisory Board.