Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval to establish a partnering agreement between the Council’s City Strategy and Neighbourhood Services departments, for the delivery of maintenance, restoration and major restoration schemes on the City Walls.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the delivery of the maintenance and restoration of the City Walls by City Strategy and Neighbourhood Services, through a partnering agreement, be approved.

                        (ii)        That a Service Level Agreement be agreed which will detail the framework and performance standards of the partnership, ensuring that this approach will improve the quality, productivity and cost of the service to the Council.

                        (iii)       That this agreement commence on 1 April 2008, and be reviewed and monitored as detailed in the Service Level Agreement.

REASON:      To ensure that the City Walls are maintained to a consistently high standard.

Members considered a report which sought approval to establish a partnering agreement between the Council’s City Strategy and Neighbourhood Services departments, for the delivery of maintenance, restoration and major schemes on the City Walls.

All of this work was currently carried out by the Neighbourhood Services (NS) (formerly CSO) ancient monuments team.  On most of the occasions in the past when works had been put out to tender, the CSO/NS team had secured the contract, due to the limited number of private contractors with the necessary range of specialised skills.  They had been awarded a five year contract in 2000 but, due to staff shortages in Engineering Consultancy, the work had not been re-tendered in 2005.

Alternative procurement methods had been assessed against the Council’s Service Procurement Hierarchy and discussed with the Corporate Procurement Team (CPT).  In view of the expertise within the NS team, the relatively low annual value of the works and the requirement for a reactive locally based service, the CPT had advised that the best way to deliver the service was through a Partnering Agreement between NS and City Strategy.

Members endorsed the arrangements between NS and York College to provide apprentice positions and continue the employment of skilled masons, ensuring that work on the Walls was carried out to the highest standard.

Having considered the comments of the Shadow Executive, it was

RESOLVED: (i)         That the delivery of the maintenance and restoration of the City Walls by City Strategy and Neighbourhood Services, through a partnering agreement, be approved.

                        (ii)        That a Service Level Agreement be agreed which will detail the framework and performance standards of the partnership, ensuring that this approach will improve the quality, productivity and cost of the service to the Council.¹

                        (iii)       That this agreement commence on 1 April 2008, and be reviewed and monitored as detailed in the Service Level Agreement.

REASON:      To ensure that the City Walls are maintained to a consistently high standard.