Agenda item
Brent Civic Centre - concept design proposals and authority to tender contract for a design and build contractor
This report follows the report taken to Executive in March 2008 when Members agreed to the procurement and delivery of a new Civic Centre in the Wembley Regeneration area. In May 2008 Members approved the choice of site as the former Palace of Industry site, Engineers Way. Following subsequent reports Members approved appointments of project team members and the use of a Design and Build contractor for the construction phase. Significant progress has been made in the last 8 months and with the appointment of the design team, a concept design has now been prepared and the brief refined to further strengthen the business case. A central component of the Council’s Efficiency and Improvement strategy and One Council vision, the project remains cost neutral, whilst providing scope for even greater benefits to Brent’s residents. This report now requests approval for the concept design and approval for the tendering strategy for the Design and Build contractor.
Appendices (not for publication) have been circulated separately.
Decision:
(i) that the concept design as described in section 5 of the report be approved;
(ii) that the conclusions of the updated Strategic Business Case appended at Appendix 4 of the report be noted;
(iii) that approval be given to the pre-tender considerations and the criteria to be used to evaluate tenders for the Design and Build Contractor for the Civic Centre as set out in paragraph 8.3 of the report;
(iv) that officers invite tenders for the Design and Build Contractor in accordance with European procurement regulations using the Restricted Procedure and to evaluate them on the basis and in accordance with the approved evaluation criteria referred to in (iii) above;
(v) that an exemption from standing orders be granted to allow the appointment of Consarc as external Architectural Advisor without following a quotation process, for the good operational and/ or financial reasons set out in paragraph 8.5 of the report;
(vi) that a revised car parking proposal be agreed for the provision of up to 158 spaces (146 regular bays, 12 disabled / parent and child bays) in the new Civic Centre, subject to eventual approval by the Council’s Planning Committee, following a detailed traffic impact assessment – all spaces to be chargeable according to a tariff to be agreed by the Council; and
(vii) that officers be instructed to negotiate with nearby commercial providers to gain access to a total of up to 200 additional car parking spaces within the immediate vicinity of the Civic Centre to accommodate additional parking requirements, both during and outside normal office hours – all spaces to be chargeable to users in such a way that there is no additional net cost to the Council.
Minutes:
The report before the Executive followed the report to the Executive in March 2008 when the procurement and delivery of a new Civic Centre in the Wembley regeneration area was agreed. In May 2008 the choice of the site of the former Palace of Industry site, Engineers Way was approved. Subsequently the appointment of project team members has been approved and the use of a Design and Build contractor for the construction phase agreed. Approval was now sought for the concept design and approval for the tendering strategy for the Design and Build contractor.
The Executive also had before them appendices 4 and 5 to the report which were not for publication as they contained the following category of exempt information as specified in Schedule 12 of the Local Government (Access to Information Act) 1972:
Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information).
Councillor Lorber (Leader) introduced the report by stating that the proposal to build a new civic centre was part of the Council’s vision to provide better more efficient services and thereby gain greater value for money. The project had reached the stage of tendering for the design and build of the civic centre. He added that he had additional recommendations to propose regarding the car parking element of the scheme.
Members commented on the good work so far carried out by the Council and its Architects in getting the project to the current stage and in the design of the building.
Councillor Blackman (Lead Member for Corporate Resources) explained that he felt it was important that in designing a 24 hour a day building the use of it by the public was maximised and thereby income generation also maximised. He submitted that the future transport arrangements in the area could not be accurately foreseen so it was important for the building to be as self sustaining as possible. Advice on the permitted number of car parking spaces varied but Councillor Blackman stated that the proposal in the report to provide 125 spaces was inadequate. The reference to the potential for other parking facilities to exist in the area had the danger of the Council being forced to pay high rates for additional parking rights. In these circumstances, Councillor Blackman proposed amended recommendations asking that a planning application be submitted with the maximum permitted car parking spaces under the LDF, supported by the appropriate independent assessments required to substantiate the need for this level of car parking.
The Executive debated the two proposals put forward, with some Members saying that they supported maximising the provision of parking because of the demand the new civic centre would create and the danger of being in the hands of private operators providing some of the parking needed by the Council. By the Council providing additional parking it would open up the possibility of income generation and so prove value for money. Other members emphasised the need for the Council to comply with its own planning guidelines and take a lead in limiting the amount of parking provided to encourage use of public transport. The view was expressed that it was not possible to make the new building self sufficient in parking terms when future demand could not be predicted and in the circumstances it would be necessary at times to utilise other parking provision in the area.
Councillor Lorber pointed out that the advice received that it would be possible to provide 158 spaces on one level rather than the original 125 was a positive outcome. However, he referred to the wider environmental issues associated with car usage. He stated that very often the issue was not so much about parking but about traffic congestion. He felt the Council needed to take a lead in changing people’s approach to car usage. He stated that the ambition was to build a sustainable building and that providing more parking would conflict with this. The solution was for the Council to work jointly with Wembley City and Quintain in providing parking in the area.
The proposals submitted by Councillor Blackman were put to the vote and declared lost. The proposals put to the meeting by Councillor Lorber were put to the vote and declared carried.
RESOLVED:
(i) that the concept design as described in section 5 of the report be approved;
(ii) that the conclusions of the updated Strategic Business Case appended at Appendix 4 of the report be noted;
(iii) that approval be given to the pre-tender considerations and the criteria to be used to evaluate tenders for the Design and Build Contractor for the Civic Centre as set out in paragraph 8.3 of the report;
(iv) that officers invite tenders for the Design and Build Contractor in accordance with European procurement regulations using the Restricted Procedure and to evaluate them on the basis and in accordance with the approved evaluation criteria referred to in (iii) above;
(v) that an exemption from standing orders be granted to allow the appointment of Consarc as external Architectural Advisor without following a quotation process, for the good operational and/ or financial reasons set out in paragraph 8.5 of the report;
(vi) that a revised car parking proposal be agreed for the provision of up to 158 spaces (146 regular bays, 12 disabled / parent and child bays) in the new Civic Centre, subject to eventual approval by the Council’s Planning Committee, following a detailed traffic impact assessment – all spaces to be chargeable according to a tariff to be agreed by the Council; and
(vii) that officers be instructed to negotiate with nearby commercial providers to gain access to a total of up to 200 additional car parking spaces within the immediate vicinity of the Civic Centre to accommodate additional parking requirements, both during and outside normal office hours – all spaces to be chargeable to users in such a way that there is no additional net cost to the Council.
Supporting documents:
- Cent Civic Centre, item 20. PDF 357 KB
- Cent Civic Centre Appendix 1, item 20. PDF 456 KB
- Cent Civic Centre Appendix 2, item 20. PDF 286 KB
- Cent Civic Centre Appendix 3, item 20. PDF 38 KB
- Restricted enclosure View the reasons why document 20./5 is restricted
- Restricted enclosure View the reasons why document 20./6 is restricted
- Restricted enclosure View the reasons why document 20./7 is restricted
- Restricted enclosure View the reasons why document 20./8 is restricted
- Restricted enclosure View the reasons why document 20./9 is restricted