Barnet searches for partner for £290m development and regulatory services contract

March 21, 2011

The London Borough of Barnet has kicked off a search for a strategic partner for a £270-290m, ten-year contract to deliver development and regulatory services.

The services covered by the deal, which will last 120 months from the award of the contract with an option to extend for up to a further five years, are:

Regeneration
Strategic planning and housing strategy
Highways transport and regeneration
Highways strategy operational services: building control and structures; planning development management; land charges
Highways network management
Highways traffic and development
Public health, consumer and regulatory services
Environmental health
Trading standards and licensing
Cemetery and crematorium
Registration and nationality service.

According to the contract notice, “the London Borough of Barnet is looking for a strategic partner, single bidder or consortium, to transform the delivery of its development and regulatory services”.

The local authority said it would select “whichever service delivery model the competitive dialogue identifies as best meeting our desired outcomes”. It will also look at strategic partnerships and the option of setting up a legal vehicle jointly such as a joint venture.

“We will be open to the discussion of other vehicles and will select our preferred model on the basis of best fit,” it added. Different partnership models will be discussed as the dialogue processes.

Barnet said it anticipated the contract would be awarded to a single entity. Where there is a supply chain, the council reserves the right to require the single entity to take primary responsibility for the supply chain or to require that each party undertakes joint and several liability.

The council, which said TUPE was likely to apply, will choose the successful bidder on the basis of: