Issue - meetings

To receive an update on the steps being taken by the Council to respond to the Community Right to Challenge. Simon Heard, Assistant Borough Solicitor will be present.

The Commission considered a report on the steps being taken to respond to the requirements of the Community Right to Challenge, discussed some implications for the Council’s procurement timetables and proposed a means of complying with those requirements while affording relevant bodies a proper opportunity to make Expressions of Interest in running services for the Council.

The Assistant Borough Solicitor reported that it was proposed to set out a timetable of the windows in which the Council would be prepared to consider expressions of interest and to align the window with planned procurements for the following year for services which were not currently outsourced or provided externally. It was anticipated that there would be a three month window commencing on 1^st January and ending on 31^st March each year. It was also intended to publish the timetable of future contact renewals on the web site giving a similar window for a period of three months, ending one year before the renewal date of the contract to be renewed. This was to give sufficient time for all the procedural requirements of procurement to be undertaken, in the knowledge that a local community or voluntary organisation may wish to bid for a service.

Arising from Members’ questions and comments, the following points were noted:

• No expressions of interest had been received to date.
• Receipt of an expression of interest triggered the procurement process.  This would involve an assessment of what constitutes value for money.
• The operation of the timetable would be subject to review.

• In response to a Member’s question about the grounds on which expressions of interest could be rejected, it was agreed to send him a copy of the previous report on this matter submitted to the Committee on 12 July 2012.

The Commission agreed to the proposed approach and timetable of the windows in which the Council would be prepared to consider expressions of interest, and asked for a progress report at a future meeting.