Decision details

1.    That the decision dated 14 November 2019 to partner with Call & Response+ Limited on the Honeybourne Line ‘Art on the Line’ project is rescinded;

2.    A competitive procurement process to commission art on the Honeybourne Line via a process of individual lots as detailed in this report is commenced;

3.    Upon completion of the procurement process delegated authority is given to the Project Manager to enter into the appropriate contracts.

The original decision cannot be implemented as Call & Response+ Ltd is no longer a working partnership.  To enable the council to deliver art on the Honeybourne Line, it is necessary to seek alternative artist(s) / collective(s).  Expressions of Interest and a procurement process is required to take place.  This decision seeks authority to split the project into lots and to begin the procurement process afresh with delegated authority to award contracts.

The original council decision notice in November 2019 was to specifically partner with Call & Response+ Ltd which is no longer a working partnership.  Although one of the partners of Call & Response+ Ltd has since formed a new partnership under a new name, the newly formed partnership is not the partnership named in the original decision taken in November 2019.  This same partner also sits on the Public Art Panel, resulting in the potential conflict of interests.  In accordance with the council’s processes and for the sake of transparency, it would not be appropriate for the council to automatically partner with the newly former partnership, so this option has been dismissed.

The council has considered retaining the Honeybourne Line art project as one procurement piece, totalling £86,500.  However, it has been decided that splitting the project into lots would provide the best value for money for the council.  This has recently become possible due to project management resources being allocated to the project.

The Public Art Panel has been advised that this decision may be necessary as part of the council’s due process and the member of Call & Response+ Ltd has been advised of this revised decision prior to the decision being publicised.