Issue - meetings

Exempt by virtue of Paragraph 5 of Part I of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 – Information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings

To receive the report of the Cabinet Member for Community Matters & Wellbeing

RESOLVED

To approve a Procurement Code exemption to remove the need to advertise for a contractor to provide temporary short-term accommodation for homeless residents for the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23, up to but not exceeding the agreed total spend as set out in the Cabinet report.

REASON

i)       The market for procurement of a single supplier for this work does not exist.

ii)      The spend on this type of accommodation is uncertain due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Council’s direct instruction to house rough sleepers regardless of priority need status and the impact of the lockdown and recession on our residents and their security of tenure.

iii)     The time period between the receipt of the final audit report in February 2021 and the start of the new financial year is too short to put a compliant contract in place, even were there a market to do so.

The Cabinet Member for Community Matters & Wellbeing introduced the report, which sought to enable to Council to secure sufficient short-term accommodation for those in housing need.  The impact of the pandemic and periods of lockdown had caused an increased number of rough sleepers.  The proposal to remove the need to advertise for a contractor to provide temporary short-term accommodation for the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23, up to but not exceeding a predetermined total spend, would give the Council the flexibility required to house rough sleepers. 

RESOLVED

To approve a Procurement Code exemption to remove the need to advertise for a contractor to provide temporary short-term accommodation for homeless residents for the financial years 2021/22 and 2022/23, up to but not exceeding an agreed total spend.       

REASON

i)     The market for procurement of a single supplier for this work does not exist.

ii)    The spend on this type of accommodation is uncertain due to the impact of COVID-19 on the Council’s direct instruction to house rough sleepers regardless of priority need status and the impact of the lockdown and recession on our residents and their security of tenure.

iii)    The time period between the receipt of the final audit report in February 2021 and the start of the new financial year is too short to put a compliant contract in place, even were there a market to do so.