To consider and decide the recommendations set out in the report.
Minutes:
The Chairman brought forward this item on the agenda.
Gary Stevenson (Head of Housing, Health and Environment) provided a verbal update which included the following comments:
· The Task and Finish Group had been established to review the grounds maintenance contract which was due to be procured shortly. It was an opportunity to look at the current contract and consider what might need to be changed for the future.
· A couple of meetings had already taken place to look at the current contract and consider what elements the Task and Finish Group could look at that would add value to the procurement process for the Council and its assets.
· The contract covered Royal Tunbridge Wells town area, but not the Parish areas (with the exception of a small part of Rusthall). It included Council sports pitches, gardens, grounds, parks and the grounds maintenance at the Cemetery and Crematorium.
· Current contract covered a 10 year period with a value of about £900,000 – the new contract would start in January 2021.
· The working group is to:
o look at the current specification to establish whether it was fit for purpose;
o look at measures that would help the Council’s declaration to becoming carbon neutral; and
o look at how quality control would be carried out.
· Other considerations would include a decision on the length of the contract and the feasibility of breaking it up into different (smaller) packages.
· In taking this forward over the next 4 months there would be engagement with Board Members. In addition, meetings with fringe groups and sports clubs in order to get their views on current facilities and to identify any future aspirations. This work would then be fed back to be included in the specification and tender documentation that would be issued early in 2020.
Discussion included the following comments:
· Enhancements to parks etc. was not included as part of the contracts remit, but Members, should they wish to do so, could approach partners to discuss this sort of work (sponsorship). However, if an enhancement of this kind were to take place, it would be possible to add the maintenance of it as part of the contract specification – but it would be subject to budgetary constraints as there was no projected growth in the expected value of the new contract.
· The assumption was to contract out rather than to look in-house, but agreed that this option could be considered.
· There was no headroom in the current budget to take on new parks, gardens etc. But through the planning process if new sites were identified Section 106 money would be used to cover initial maintenance, the Council could then pick it up after this period. There would be an opportunity to include a variance in the contract to cover such events.
· Parks and gardens covered the larger areas of land throughout the town owned by the Council. There were a variety of owners for the smaller areas of land, including, Town and Country Housing and Kent County Council. The Council would always endeavour to co-ordinate to ensure areas were not missed.
· Would like a third member for the Task and Finish Group – who didn’t have to be a member of this Committee.
RESOLVED – That the update be noted.
Supporting documents: