AGENDA ITEM 5
BOROUGH OF POOLE
EXTRAORDINARY COUNCIL
14 JANUARY 2010
TWIN SAILS BRIDGE PROPOSED CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT
1.0 PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 For the Council to consider letting a contract for the construction of the Twin Sails Bridge.
2.0 DECISIONS REQUIRED
2.1 That the Council confirm its intention to let a contract for the construction of the new Twin Sails Bridge in accordance with the EU procurement rules subject to Full Approval of a Department for Transport grant of £14.141m.
3.0 BACKGROUND AND INFORMATION
3.1 On the 8 December 2009 the Cabinet authorised the Strategic Director,
supported by the Revitalising the Town Centre Strategy Group, to secure Final Approval for funding from the Department for Transport (OfT) and the Regional Development Agency (RDA).
3.2 The Council's Conditional Approval from OfT dated 8 February 2007 was subject to six conditions. Five of these conditions were resolved through an exchange of correspondence between the Council and the OfT in April 2009.
3.3 The sixth condition specified that the Council would supply 'Details of the tender exercise and any resulting changes to the proposal'. The Chief Financial Officer and Head of Finance wrote to OfT at the end of November 2009 confirming the tender values and advising that the Council intended to proceed with the scheme unchanged. From the November 2009 Cabinet Report, Members will be aware the Most Economically Advantageous Tender received came well within the budget estimate for this element of the scheme.
3.4 Officers had anticipated that the OfT would be able to administer the approval before 6 January 2010. Senior Officials at OfT have subsequently advised that the information submitted by the Council will need to be considered by a OfT Committee that next meets on the 12 January 2010. This Committee will produce a recommendation that will then need to be approved by the Minister for Transport (Sadiq Khan MP).
3.5 The scheme has been given a 'top priority' status by the South West region through the Regional Funding Allocations process.
3.6 The legal agreement for the Regional Infrastructure Fund loan has been
completed and has been signed by the Council. The RDA is expected to sign the agreement before the New Year.
3.7 In accordance with EU procurement rules, a 10-day standstill period is
required after tenderers have been advised of its decision to award the contract. This period cannot commence until OfT Full Approval is secured. Subject to this standstill period passing without any legitimate claim of breach of duty the contract for the Twin Sails bridge will be entered into.
3.8 The successful tenderer will be named at the time of notification.
Paper prepared by
Jim Bright - Strategic Director
23 December 2009
Background papers:
1 - Cabinet report of 8 November 2008
2 - Letter from OfT to Alan Taylor dated 8 February 2008
3 - Letter to OfT from the Council's Chief Financial Officer dated 27 "November 2008
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