Agenda item

            Prior to 1998 Local Government Review there had been significant underfunding of the maintenance of the Silver Jubilee Bridge and its adjacent structures. As a result, the Council recognised that there was a need to address this neglect as a matter of priority. This culminated in the preparation of 10 year maintenance strategy document, which identified, costed and programmed the structural maintenance activity necessary to bring the condition of the structures to a steady state of maintenance.

            Prior to the introduction of the second Local Transport Plan (LTP2), the maintenance strategy for the complex was used to underpin and provide defendable reasoning for the annual bids made through LTP for Major Maintenance and Strengthening Schemes. This identified a total of £25.6m of work (at a 2003 cost base).

            During compilation of LTP2, the Council received guidance that the new LTP rules meant that implementation of a 10 year programme of maintenance activity as a strategy would have to be through the Major Scheme Appraisal process. This was a highly procedural process for major transportation initiatives costing greater than £5m requiring consideration of many issues such as environmental impact, safety, economic benefit, accessibility and integration.

            Consequently, the Council engaged consultants Mott MacDonald to prepare a formal Major Scheme Bid for delivery of the 10 year maintenance strategy for the Silver Jubilee Bridge Complex. The final draft was submitted to the Department for Transport (DfT) on 8^th March 2006.

            The preferred option was for a 10 year funding programme delivered by partnership. It was noted that although the level of work identified remained at £25.6m in the Strategy document, by the time it had gone through the economic processes of the Bid (including application of Optimism Bias) the figure had increased to £38.5m.

            Although DfT approval of the Major Scheme Bid was yet to be granted, one of the areas of the submission identified as being in need of development included proposals for project procurement. A report was therefore being prepared by Mott Macdonald to investigate the procurement options available for delivering an extended programme of bridge maintenance and to ascertain the option likely to yield the most effective outcomes. The recommended option would involve engagement of a single partnering contractor using a construction framework form of contract based upon the NEC (ECC) Suite of Contracts. This arrangement was viewed to be advantageous in terms of overall flexibility, quality and value for money through continuity of service.

            In December 2007, DfT informed the Council that its £14.3m bid for funding through the Primary Route Network (PRN) bridge maintenance had been successful. It was therefore intended to initiate procedures to prepare contract documentation and invite tenders for delivery of major bridge maintenance works through the engagement of a single partnering contractor using a construction framework form of contract.

            The term of the contract would be for an initial four-year period plus potential two-year extension with an estimate value range of between £12m and £18m depending on the future success of the Major Scheme Bid. Any decision regarding the potential two-year extension would be at the sole discretion of the Council. It was expected that shortlisted contractors would be invited to tender in May/June 2008 and that the successful contractor would be able to start work on site in late 2008.

            RESOLVED: That

(1)            authority be given to the Operational Director Highways Transportation and Logistics, in consultation with the portfolio holder Planning, Transportation, Regeneration and Renewal, to invite tenders for delivery of major bridge maintenance works through the engagement of a single partnering contractor using a construction framework form of contract; and

(2) the potential two year extension of the contract, which was dependent on the success of the Major Scheme Bid, be subject to a further report to the Sub Committee.