Issue - meetings

(Environment Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-053-2017/18).

(1)        That, following a procurement exercise and being the most economically advantageous tender under the price and quality criteria, the contract for arboricultural maintenance of major trees which were the responsibility of the Council be awarded to Gristwood and Toms Limited for an initial period of five years with an option to extend by a further two years.

The Environment Portfolio Holder presented a report for  the award of the contract for Arboricultural Maintenance Works.

The Portfolio Holder explained that the Council had an outsourced arrangement for managing those trees across the District that it was responsible for. Tenders for the new contract had been received on 9 February 2018 and had been evaluated by Officers under the previously agreed price and quality criteria. The company which had scored the highest was Gristwood and Toms Limited and it was recommended that the contract be awarded to them from 1 August 2018 for a period of five years with the option to extend by a further two.

The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Technical Services) advised the Cabinet that the contract would be let on a ‘schedule of works’ basis, so the Contract would cost more if there was more work that needed to be undertaken. This year’s budget had been spent before the end of the financial year due to the storms endured during the winter.

Decision:

(1)        That, following a procurement exercise and being the most economically advantageous tender under the price and quality criteria, the contract for arboricultural maintenance of major trees which were the responsibility of the Council be awarded to Gristwood and Toms Limited for an initial period of five years with an option to extend by a further two years.

Reasons for Decision:

Under the Council’s Procurement Rules, given the total value of the contract, only Cabinet could accept this tender.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not accept the tender. However, this would mean that there was no contractor to deal with routine and emergency works on the major tree infrastructure of the District.