Issue - meetings

Consideration was given to a report of the Deputy Chief Executive which sought approval to delegate authority the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader the award of the Accessible Oldham Strategic Partnership Agreement and reserve supplier agreement, and to delegate authority to the Director of Environmental Management in consultation with the Director of Finance and the Director of Legal Services to award the individual call off orders for the separate projects, due to the urgency to deliver a programme of works in accordance with the funding timeline constraints.

It was reported that the Transportation and Planning Team in collaboration with Unity Partnership had successfully bid for several capital funded multi-disciplinary highway improvement programme of work, namely Growth Deal 3 (GD3) and Mayor’s Cycling and Walking Challenge Fund (MCF). The funds (cumulatively amounting to circa £16.5m) are managed by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) under the overarching administration of Department for Transport (DfT).

For Oldham Council to deliver the programme it was considered necessary to seek a mid-term (4 years) Strategic Partner (Partner) to assist the Delivery Team at key stages of the design and construction work. The current method of delivery of the highway construction work was described below which can take upwards of 12 weeks from tender stage to commencement on site. Ultimately, in order to deliver the GD3 and MCF programme within the set timeframe, a more streamlined method of procuring construction work was required. The intention was that individual projects would be procured via a Call Off procedure under the Strategic Partnership Agreement. This would require Director sign off (in liaison with the Directors of Finance and Legal Services) rather than an individual Cabinet report for each element of work.

The Accessible Oldham Strategic Partnership Agreement was scheduled to be advertised by the Commercial Services Team before the end of the year and it was expected to be available for use in March/April 2021. An initial sift would be undertaken with a shortlist of three Contractors being invited to enhance/review their respective bids with one being awarded as the outright winner.  

RESOLVED – That:

1.    Authority be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader to award the Strategic Partnership Agreement and Reserve Supplier Agreement, in consultation with the Director of Finance and Director of Legal Services.

2.    Authority be delegated to the Director of Environmental Management in consultation with the Director of Finance, and the Director of Legal Services  to award the individual call off contracts for the separate works packages under the Strategic Partnership Agreement and Reserve Supplier Agreement.

3.    Authority be delegated to the Director of Legal Services to affix the Council’s seal to the Strategic Partnership Agreement and Reserve Supplier Agreement any incidental and ancillary  documentation and also to the individual call off contracts under the Strategic Partnership Agreement and Reserve Supplier Agreement any incidental and ancillary documentation.