The Director of Regeneration and Place has decided to approve:

(1)  the award of the contracts for highway and infrastructure works in Birkenhead Town Centre pursuant to the Procure Partnerships Framework for:

(a)  Conway Street/Europa Boulevard Movement Project; and

(b)  Grange Road/Charing Cross/Grange Road West Movement Project and

(2)  that the above recommendations be deemed urgent and therefore not subject to the procedure for re consideration.

The tender submission from John Graham Ltd represents is fully compliant and is within allocated budgetary provision.

The Central Birkenhead (Town Centre) Programme has been awarded significant funding from the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) and the Active Travel Tranche 3 programme (ATF T3).  Both projects are ready to be delivered on site and are in line with the Birkenhead 2040 regeneration strategy and support the environment surrounding the new commercial offices in the town centre. 

Two separate compliant procurement exercises have been carried out to facilitate the proposed construction award to ensure the best financial outcome for the Council therefore it is not considered that any further efficiencies on the contractor award could be secured. 

The Council could decide to not award the contracts.  This is not considered to be an appropriate option given that significant funding has been secured from FHSF and ATF3 and there would be reputational issues if these schemes do not proceed and the grant funding is spent.  The projects are critical to delivery of the regeneration programme, the emerging Local Plan, the Birkenhead 2040 framework and the commitments to addressing the Climate and Environment emergency.

The use of a further tendering exercise could be undertaken to establish whether the market has changed and a reduced price could be sought.  This has been considered but given two tender exercises have already been undertaken this has been discounted due to the additional time that this process would require which would exceed the deadline for the contract award which is required by 31March 2024 to meet the requirement for the £3,850,000 ATF3 funding.