The Director of Neighbourhood Services has approved the purchase, following the recent competitive tender exercise, of the Single Cab Tipper Vans detailed in this report from Northern Commercials Ltd (Company Reg. No. 1005915) as the highest scoring bidders in accordance with the Most Economically Advantageous Tenderer Criteria at a total cost of £329,520 (excluding VAT) from the Parks & Countryside Vehicle Replacement Capital Fund.

The Parks & Countryside Service maintains the Council’s ‘green estate’. This estate is diverse and includes parks and open spaces, cemeteries, allotments, sports pitches and play areas. To maintain these areas, there is a requirement to transport staff and equipment to where they are needed which in this instance would be via Single Cab Tipper Vans. A number of these vehicles are old and have reached the end of their useful life and need to be replaced.
In total the service has identified a requirement for 25 Tipper Vans, some single cab, and some double cab. Not all vehicles currently in use are of the same age or have the same mileage, this has allowed the service to priorities their replacement over a three-year period, starting in 2023/24. The eight vehicles being purchased from this procurement will replace those that have reached the end of their useful life.
The more modern design of these vehicles is typically more fuel efficient than the older models meaning that new vehicles will use less fuel, have lower emissions and are, therefore, kinder to the environment.
Consulting with colleagues in the Council's Procurement Service, a competitive procurement exercise was undertaken in September / October 2023 using the TPPL (The Procurement Partnership Limited) Framework. Suppliers were invited to tender for the supply of Single Cab Tipper Vans against the specification issues. Three suppliers submitted bids.
In mid-October 2023 a panel of officers scored the three submissions received, which met the specifications issued based on the following scoring criteria, which had been shared with suppliers previously as a part of the tender exercise.
The highest scoring supplier was Northern Commercials Ltd (Company Reg. No. 1005915). The cost of this procurement is £329,520 in total (excluding VAT) for eight Single Cab Tipper Vans (Iveco ‘Daily’ 2.3L TD – Euro 6.2 - Twin rear wheel) vehicles.

Do Nothing -The age of the of vehicles to be replaced is such that breakdowns are more frequent, leading to increased repair costs. Alongside increased repair costs the service delivered suffers, due to increased down time, leading to increased complaints from residents. There remains the need to use Single Can Tipper Vans to move staff and equipment to where they are needed to carry out maintenance. Given these factors, a ‘do nothing’ option is not believed to be viable.
Re-procurement from Capital – Purchasing new replacement Single Cab Tipper Vans, provides the benefits of reduced downtime, reduced emissions and having the right vehicle for the job. This is the preferred option.