Issue - meetings

Background:

The report provided the Cabinet with the details of options relating to the delivery of the One Public Estates (OPE) Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) enabling works Contract, with subsequent information relating to directly awarding a contract thereafter. Following a successful grant bid, £471,625 had been approved to undertake site enabling works at the Upper Mount car park site to facilitate a residential scheme of 21 homes. The enabling works entailed reducing site levels, installation of retaining walls and utility works.

The report proposed that Medway Development Company (MDC) be contracted to deliver these works to bring forward the site. MDC would be appointed in the capacity of Project Manager and Contractor.

In line with rule 15.11 of Chapter 4, Part 5 of the Constitution, call-in can be waived where any delay likely to be caused by the call-in process would seriously prejudice the Council’s or the public’s interests. In this case, the deadline from One Public Estate grant was for the Council to be in contract for the projects that form LRF 2.3 by 31 March 2025. The Council had been granted a slight extension to this deadline. Therefore, on this occasion it was proposed that the call-in period should be waived to prevent further delay. The Chairperson of the Regeneration, Culture and Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee had agreed that the decisions proposed were reasonable in all the circumstances and to them being treated as a matter of urgency and to waive call-in.

Reasons:

The appointment of Medway Development Company (MDC) as Project Manager and Contractor to deliver the enabling works for the OPE BLRF, will ensure the project is completed and the grant funding is utilised.