Commissioning of External Advisors for Neighbourhood Services/Waste Consultancy

Neighbourhood Services currently have 3 contracts in place with external advisors to provide expertise and additional support to key projects. These contracts are due to expire 31st March 2027, and this business case seeks to obtain approval to undertake procurement for new contracts to replace the current arrangements upon expiry, to ensure the continuation of the required support.

The 3 current contracts, awarded in April 2023 via the Eastern Shires Purchasing Organisation (ESPO) Framework, are for Engineering, Technical, and Financial support and they have assisted on a number of key projects including, but not limited to; • Energy from Waste (EFW) Litigation • Development of the High Heavens Waste Complex (HHWC) • New Buckingham Household Recycling Centre (HRC) • Persistent Organic Pollutant’s (POPs) Construction Project • Options appraisal for alternative fuel waste vehicles • Waste Collection Methodology Options Appraisal and Harmonisation • HRC Drainage Compliance Without the expertise and additional resources provided by working with specialist consultants, the Council would find it extremely difficult to deliver these projects to the same standard, timeframe and cost. Particular areas or expertise that the current arrangements provide include construction, site design, planning application support, ecological surveys, legislative and regulatory positions, market analysis, best practice, financial modelling, and contract documentation drafting.

When these contracts expire in March 2027, having utilised the available extension period, all support will cease unless new arrangements are in place to continue the support. This would pause or significantly delay a number of construction contracts and the implementation of new Council waste strategies, resulting in additional project costs and delays to delivery.

The proposed route is to go out to procurement for 2 new contracts, to cover the same expertise, for a period of up to 6 years to ensure the available support aligns with the delivery timeline of the key Council projects to be delivered. This will be via a competitive process to ensure fairness within the market and to deliver the best value for money for the Council.