Issue - meetings

Executive Board considered the attached report:-

RECOMMENDED: That

          Executive Board had considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which advised Members of the award of grant funding through the Department for Transport’ s Local Pinch Point Programme.

          RESOLVED: That Council

1)    note the award of £1.675M grant funding for the Daresbury Enterprise Zone / East Runcorn Housing Access Improvement Scheme under the DfT’s Local Pinch Point Programme;

2)    approve the inclusion of the LPPP scheme into the Council’s Capital Programme at a total estimated cost of £2.394M to be phased over 2013/14 and 2014/15; and

3)    note that, in accordance with Procurement Standing Order (PSO) 1.8.4, PSO 4.1 (Competition Requirements) be waived and design and scheme preparation services be procured from Mott MacDonald Ltd. for reasons of urgency, as set out in the report.

The Board considered a report of the Strategic Director, Policy and Resources, which advised Members of the award of grant funding through the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Local Pinch Point Programme (LPPP).

          The Board was advised that the LPPP was aimed at removing bottlenecks on local highway networks and improving access to development sites to support growth and create additional jobs and housing. In February 2013, the Council submitted a bid for funding from the DfT from a total fund of £170m. Halton’s bid, which was successfully fast tracked, comprised a package of schemes designed to increase traffic capacity at three existing junctions on the A533 Daresbury Expressway. This would increase traffic capacity at key highway access points to the Daresbury (SciTech) Enterprise Zone and east Runcorn strategic housing development sites.

          The report provided information on the funding contribution, subject to the Council agreeing to a number of conditions. The basis of the bid was that all works would be undertaken within the existing Highway boundaries and delivered by March 2015.

          It was noted that the Council’s framework consultants, Mott MacDonald Ltd, had worked closely on the preparation of the LPPP bid. However, their Engineering Consultancy Framework Contract expired in April 2013, prior to confirmation of the DfT’s scheme approval. Members were advised that it was proposed to waive Procurement Standing Order 4.1 (Competition Requirements) for reasons of urgency and for this scheme only, to enable the preparatory surveys, scheme design and project management services to proceed for this LPPP scheme with Mott MacDonald Ltd.

          RESOLVED: That

1)    the award of £1.675m grant funding for the Daresbury Enterprise Zone/East Runcorn Housing Access Improvement Scheme under the DfT’s Local Pinch Point Programme be noted;

2)    Council be recommended to approve the inclusion of the LPPP scheme into the Council’s Capital Programme at a total estimated cost of £2.394m to be phased over 2013/14 and 2014/15; and

3)      in accordance with Procurement Standing Order 1.8.4, Procurement Standing Order 4.1 (Competition Requirements) be waived, and design and scheme preparation services be procured from Mott MacDonald Ltd for reasons of urgency as set out in the report.