Agenda, decisions and minutes

Members and co-opted Members of the Council are reminded that, in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct and the statutory provisions of the Localism Act, they are required to consider in advance of each meeting whether they have a disclosable pecuniary interest (DPI), an other registrable interest (ORI) or a non-registrable interest (NRI) in relation to any matter on the agenda. If advice is needed, Members should contact the Monitoring Officer in good time before the meeting.

If any Member or co-opted Member of the Council identifies a DPI or ORI which they have not already registered on the Council’s register of interests or which requires updating, they should complete the disclosure form which can be obtained from Democratic Services at any time, copies of which will be available at the meeting for return to the Monitoring Officer.

Members and co-opted Members are required to disclose any DPIs and ORIs at the meeting.

-      Where the matter relates to a DPI they may not participate in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not stay in the meeting unless granted a dispensation.

-      Where the matter relates to an ORI they may not vote on the matter unless granted a dispensation.

-      Where a Member or co-opted Member has an NRI which directly relates to their financial interest or wellbeing, or that of a relative or close associate, they must disclose the interest at the meeting, may not take part in any discussion or vote on the matter and must not stay in the meeting unless granted a dispensation. Where a matter affects the NRI of a Member or co-opted Member, section 9 of Appendix B of the Code of Conduct sets out the test which must be applied by the Member to decide whether disclosure is required.

The Chair will invite Members to make their disclosure orally at the commencement of Agenda item 3, to be recorded in the minutes.

There were no declarations of interest received from Members.

To receive notice of any business not on the agenda which in the opinion of the Chair, by reason of special circumstances, be considered as a matter of urgency.

There were no items of urgent business.

To note any executive functions appointments by the Executive Mayor.

There were no executive functions appointments made.

The attached report sets out the procurement process that the Council has undertaken in relation to the Re-procurement Housing Responsive Repair Contract. In accordance with the approved strategy, this is being split into four parts going forwards as follows:

·         Contact Centre – to be insourced.

·         Area 1 Responsive repairs and voids excluding heating.

·         Area 2 Responsive repairs and voids excluding heating.

·         Heating related services.

RESOLVED:

1.1.         To agree the award of a contract to deliver Area 1/ Lot 1 (c.70% of the housing stock) of the responsive repairs services, optional planned programme and out-of-hours contact centre to Wates for a period with an initial contract term of 6 years and 8 months with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and 8 months (plus a 1-year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value of £125.7m.

1.2.         To agree the award of a contract to deliver Area 2/ Lot 2 (c.30% of the housing stock) of the responsive repairs services and optional planned programme to Mears for a period with an initial contract term of 6 years and 8 months with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and 8 months (plus a 1-year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value of £61.3m.

1.3.         To agree the award of a contract to deliver Heating Services to British Gas Social Housing Ltd t/a PH Jones for a period with an initial contract term of 6 years and 8 months with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and 8 months (plus a 1year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value stated of £40.9m.

1.4.         To note, the break options referred to in recommendations 2.1 to 2.3 above shall follow the same governance process as a permitted extension under the Tenders and Contracts Regulations (as amended).

1.5.         To note, following recommendation 1.2 of the Procurement Strategy report, the outcome of the affordability analysis for the contact centre was to in-source the service from 8am-6pm, with the out-of-hours element being outsourced. The contact centre out-of-hours element was included in the procurement process and the recommended award is included in recommendation 2.1 above to the Lot 1 bidder.

1.6.         To note, as part of the Tender submission all contractors were asked to submit a price to take the calls out-of-hours for both Lot 1, Lot 2 and Heating emergencies. This will now be used to compare with us providing our own Out of Hours Service in terms of cost and quality.

1.7.         To note, the successful providers’ names will be made public after the decision takes place.

The Executive Mayor announced that the following would be considered in two parts.  Firstly, in open session, the Part A report and, later in the meeting, in closed session, the Part B (exempt – not for publication) report, which contained sensitive information around the legal contract process.

Given the nature of the information contained within the Part B report (i.e., contractual standstill process), the Executive Mayor expressed his frustration that he would not be able to disclose, publicly, the successful contractors at this meeting but assured all present that this would be made public as soon as the Council was legally able to do so.

The Executive Mayor said that improving the Borough’s housing stock had been a priority for his administration and, at his first Cabinet meeting as Executive Mayor, had agreed a new Residents’ Charter built around respect and listening to Croydon’s tenants.  In this connection, he said that a wide-ranging housing transformation plan had also been agreed last year which, with time, would deliver significant improvements across the board.

The Executive Mayor went on to say that, in December, the Council had begun to consult residents on options for the refurbishment, demolition and redevelopment of Regina Road, the estate which, he said, had been allowed to decline to appalling conditions and had become the symbol of the previous Administration’s total failure to care for the residents they were meant to represent.  He said that complaints in respect of mould, damp etc. had gone unchallenged.

The Executive Mayor said that tonight’s meeting heralded the next step in his administration’s improvement journey by awarding a new housing repairs contract, which would improve the service that residents received.  He said that, throughout this tendering process, residents had been at the heart from services and priorities for the contract to focus groups on the specifications and resident involvement in the bidder evaluation.

The Executive Mayor said that this new service had been designed for and by the Borough’s residents – the Council’s customers.  He said that the Council would also improve its contract management arrangements by building-in penalties which had not existed previously and allow the Council to act where performance was not hitting acceptable levels.

These major contracts would provide wider benefits to Croydon’s community with social value clauses built-in, which would increase skills and employment opportunities for local people and support Croydon businesses by encouraging greater use of local supply chains.

The Executive Mayor acknowledged there may be teething problems along the way and potential challenges arising from the transition from the current to the new contractors, which would not be fixed overnight by the new arrangements.

In conclusion, the Executive Mayor said that this new approach to housing repairs, led by the commitments in the Residents’ Charter, would mark a step change for Croydon’s tenants and residents and this was something that everyone should welcome.

The Cabinet Member for Homes (and Deputy (Statutory) Executive Mayor), Councillor Lynne Hale, in thanking officers and tenants for their dedicated work in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 44/23

The following motion is to be moved and seconded where it is proposed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of a meeting:

“That, under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information falling within those paragraphs indicated in Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.”

The Executive Mayor stated that the meeting would need to pass a resolution to move to private session and temporarily turn off the webcast in order that Members could consider the Part B Report.  Accordingly, it was moved, seconded and RESOLVED that the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the remaining item of business, on the grounds that it involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 3 to Part 1 of Schedule 12A, as amended, to the Local Government Act 1972.

Cabinet received officer presentations on those bidders who had submitted for the works.

It was then moved, seconded and RESOLVED that the press and public be readmitted to the meeting (public session) to receive the decision of the Executive Mayor, in Cabinet.

The Executive Mayor thanked officers and the many residents who had contributed to the redesign of this housing repairs contact.

He said that everyone had to be realistic since, after many years of underinvestment, a new contract would not fix the deep problems in the Council’s housing stock overnight.  That said, he said this new approach, designed with Croydon’s residents, would be a major opportunity to move forward and improve the quality and responsiveness of housing repairs in Croydon.

He went on to say that listening to residents, active contract management, penalties for poor performance and a responsive in-house contact centre were key elements in delivering a service that was fit and proper for Croydon’s residents and he was therefore happy to agree the recommendations in both the Part A and Part B reports.

Accordingly, it was RESOLVED that:

1.          The award of a contract to deliver Area 1/Lot 1 (c.70% of the housing stock) of the responsive repairs’ services, optional planned programme and out-of-hours contact centre service to the Bidder C (as identified in the Part B report) for a period with an initial contract term of six years and eight months, with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and eight months (plus a 1-year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value stated in the Part B report, be approved.

2.          The award of a contract to deliver Area 2/Lot 2 (c.30% of the housing stock) of the responsive repairs’ services and optional planned programme to Bidder D (as identified in the Part B report) for a period with an initial contract term of six years and eight months, with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and eight months (plus a 1-year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value stated in the Part B report, be approved.

3.          The award of a contract to deliver Heating Services to Bidder H (as identified in the Part B report) for a period with an initial contract term of six years and eight months, with a break option at that point and a total maximum contract duration of 10 years and eight months (plus a 1-year defects liability period) for the maximum contract value stated in the Part B report, be approved.

4.          The break options referred to in recommendations 1 to 3 above would follow the same governance process as a permitted extension under the Tenders and Contracts Regulations (as amended), be noted.

5.          Following recommendation 1.2 of the Procurement Strategy report, the outcome of the affordability analysis for the contact centre was to in-source the service from 8am-6pm, with the out-of-hours element being outsourced, be noted. (The contact  ...  view the full minutes text for item 46/23