Agenda item

This report provides a summary of the proposed projects to make improvements at Lion’s Den, Brookfield Adventure and Bluebell play areas in Littlehampton. The report recommends that the funding allocated from the capital play funding budget should be drawn down and allocated for expenditure at the play areas, and that contracts are awarded to the preferred suppliers following a procurement process for the delivery of the schemes.

[20 Minutes]

          Upon the invitation of the Chair, the Principal Landscape Officer presented the report to the Committee. The report provided a summary of the proposed projects which had been identified for improvement under the new capital programme. These were Lion’s Den, Brookfield Adventure and Bluebell play areas in Littlehampton. The process of delivering these projects would follow the same steps as other schemes, and consultation would be caried out to establish what the public would like to see included. The result of this consultation would be used to produce the design brief for each play area. Companies would then be invited to submit designs and costs for these and the highest scoring tender would be appointed following evaluation. Further information was set out in the report and the recommendations linked to the procurement and delivery of the schemes.

          Members then took part in a question-and-answer session and the following points were made:

• The summary for Brookfield Adventure mentioned ‘mobility and those in wheelchairs, to ensure that equipment can be accessed from a seated or standing position’, however this was not included in the Lions Den summary. Would accessible play equipment be included at Lions Den as well? The Principal Landscape Officer explained this was an omission in the report and it would be something they would be looking for within all the designs.
• It was asked what sensory play equipment meant, and an answer was provided by the Principal Landscape Officer.
• Recommendation 2.3 mentioned delegation of authority to Officers to increase the contract value and it was asked what was meant by additional funding. The Principal Landscape Officer explained no additional funding was expected, however on occasions Parish Councils came forward with additional funding, and the recommendation enabled the project to continue rather than wait for Committee approval.
• A query was raised on the figures for the costings, which was answered by the Principal Landscape Officer.

Councillor Greenway proposed an amendment to the third recommendation as follows (additions have been shown in bold):

Delegate authority to Officers, in conjunction with the Chair of the Environment Committee, to increase the contract value(s) at recommendation 2 should additional funding become available ahead of, during, or following the procurement process.

The amendment was seconded by Councillor Elkins and following a vote was declared CARRIED.

Turning to the substantive, the question and answer session resumed as follows:

·       Were the 2015 regulations mentioned in the report the most current? The Principal Landscape Officer confirmed they were.

·       14.1 said Contractors would be required to provide evidence of their environmental sustainability policies, including any carbon impact footprints. Was this really necessary? The Principal Landscape Officer explained that the Council was looking at its carbon footprint and working towards becoming carbon neutral, and although this could be challenging for contractors, it was important that it was encouraged.

          The recommendation was proposed by Councillor Greenway and seconded by Councillor Blanchard-Cooper.

          The Committee

RESOLVED that

1)    The drawdown and expenditure of £205K funding allocated from the capital play budget plus any other partnership funding that may be made available to carry out improvements at Lion’s Den, Brookfield Adventure and Bluebell play areas and deliver an objective from the Council's play strategy 2018-2028, be approved.

2)    A procurement process be undertaken for design and build contracts and to enter into contract(s) for up to £205K (subject to recommendation 3) with preferred bidder(s) in order to carry out play area improvements at Lion’s Den, Brookfield Adventure and Bluebell play areas, be approved.

3)    Authority be delegated to Officers, in conjunction with the Chair of the Environment Committee, to increase the contract value(s) at recommendation 2 should additional funding become available ahead of, during, or following the procurement process.