Agenda item

To consider a progress report on the process for letting major contracts relating to highways and transportation services.

The Committee considered a report, set out in agenda pages 9 to 40, which provided an update on the progress on the process of letting major contracts relating to highways and transportation services.

The report outlined the process of letting the contracts, as well as the key priorities that had been considered in the process including:

·           Promoting sustainable transport;

·           Promoting economic prosperity;

·           Ensuring a fully trained set of highways workers and staff are present.

Alex Deans, Highways and Transportation Services – Reprocurement Lead, outlined that during the process careful consideration had been given to resolving issues such as flood risk impact of highways, maximising resources (including the workforce and the Council’s budget) and achieving value for money for the Borough and its residents. Alex Deans informed Members that they would receive the part 2 papers outlining the full report including the financials at the upcoming meeting of the Council. 

Alex Deans stated that the upcoming full report would outline the following:

·           The differentiation between the different contracts;

·           The governance process overarching the contracts;

·           How the contracts would be managed;

·           How accountability and transparency would be achieved;

·           The full financial information with regards to the contracts.

Rachel Burgess asked what would be done to minimise service disruption in the mobilisation/de-mobilisation period when the contracts would switch over. Alex Deans stated that WSP had put a de-mobilisation plan in place whereby a 2 to 3 week period either side of the contract end date would be used to continue carrying out essential works and to help integrate and familiarise the new provider with the current and future workload. He added that there was a 6 month plan in place covering October 2018 to March 2019 which mapped out the mobilisation/de-mobilisation process.

David Sleight queried the future of the Shute End based WSP staff after their contract expired. Alex Deans stated that some of the internal staff would be offered a role as a Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) employee, if conditions such as length of service on the contract and no WSP retention were met. He added that details of this would be included in the upcoming part 2 papers.

Shahid Younis queried how the monitoring process of the contracts would be carried out in the future. Alex Deans clarified that the performance criteria (as set out in Appendix B of this report) would be constantly subject to review. He added that to achieve the 100% monetary incentive the provider would have to achieve 100% in each of the performance categories. Alex Deans stated that this information would periodically be fed back to Audit and that the process had been in collaboration with the 21^st Century Council programme.

Clive Jones queried that if WBC could retain the internal WSP staff on budget, had WBC been overpaying in the past for their services? Alex Deans stated that the previous financials had been based on a 2008 indexation formula, whereas the new contracts would be based off of a government promoted indexation formula. He added that the rates paid for the in house staff had been competitive, but that off-site works had been more expensive.

Rachel Burgess queried how the applicants for the contracts had been assessed in terms of addressing resident concerns including traffic congestion issues. Alex Deans stated that residents expectations needed to be managed going forward, for example that WBC was required to build a large amount of new properties as set out in the local plan which would inevitably and unavoidably cause congestion. He stated that the contract provider would be working in collaboration with the local town and parish Councils to identify the local issues and needs of the local residents.

RESOLVED That:

1)    the Highways and transportation Contract Renewals Update be noted; 

2)    Alex Deans be thanked for attending the meeting;

3)    a further update on Highways and Transportation contracts come to the Committee in due course.