Issue - meetings

Report of Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets, Councillor Peter Jeffries – TO FOLLOW

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the direct appointment of the supplier to undertake the project work on a fixed power supply up to and including RIBA Stage 5 is approved, subject to a business case for the capital work being approved by Cabinet and Full Council (if required). 

The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets introduced his report, reminding Members of the successful ice rink in Imperial Gardens in 2021 and the approval of a recommendation to deliver fixed power infrastructure for future events.  This would provide a sustainable solution, producing less noise and air pollution.  Work is ongoing to understand the technical and practical issues of doing this, including understanding the capacity of the national grid network, topography, tree root protection, listed building restrictions and more. 

The council needs to engage professional engineers to provide a viable specification for this work, and has been liaising with a number of providers, but the timelines for the project to be delivered mean that there is no time to undergo the full tender process or identify and appoint through a framework.   It is therefore recommended that a waiver is applied to appoint a preferred supplier to mount full delivery of the project.  He assured Members that, following the design spec and procurement process to appoint a supplier for the  build work, a full business case would be brought back for approval.

Members welcomed the report, and made the following points:

-       the power supply will be a great benefit to the town, not only reducing the need for generators for the ice rink, but for all other activities in the Imperial Gardens;

-       removing the need for diesel generators, which pollute homes and the local environment, is a good enough reason in itself to approve the recommendation;

-       this is an exciting proposal, as the ice rink and all other events in Imperial Gardens are so important to residents, visitors, and the economy of the park.  It is good that these can be carried on in a more sustainable way.

A Member asked if it is the intention to extend this infrastructure initiative beyond Imperial Gardens to Montpellier Gardens in due course.  The Cabinet Member for Finance and Assets confirmed that this is the aspiration, following learning from the current project.

RESOLVED THAT:

-       the direct appointment of the supplier to undertake the project work on a fixed power supply up to and including RIBA Stage 5 is approved, subject to a business case for the capital work being approved by Cabinet and Full Council (if required).