Decision details

In line with the strategy of re-procuring the suite of parking contracts to commence in 2023, it is necessary to continue with the current contract arrangements until the new contracts are in place. The report is to enable the award of the Business Processing & Technology Contract up to the commencement of the new suite of contracts.

1.           Recommendations

1.1        That Part B of this report be confidential pursuant to paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of tenderers for the contract which is the subject of this report.

1.2    That the Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management approves the recommendation to award the Parking Business Processing and Technology Contract for the provision of parking technology software, back-office permit issuance, PCN management for the period from 1 May 2022 to 31 March 2023 to NSL Limited. The full contract term is 11 months at an estimated total contract cost of £5.678m (variable transaction volumes affecting final value).

1.3    That the Cabinet Member for Environment and City Management approves the Waiver of the Procurement Code to allow a direct award of a contract to NSL Ltd.

2.        Reasons for Decision 

2.1      The COVID 19 crisis has played a major impact on service delivery, with the Council’s initial response being to focus on critical and essential services. As a result, staff were diverted to deal with urgent and business critical matters. Furthermore, a number of companies had to make their employees furloughed as they tackled the economic impact of the pandemic upon their businesses. As a result, issuing re-procurements at this time may have limited supplier participation. Uncertainty brought about by the COVID 19 crisis, most notably the changes to the amount of journeys into Westminster also meant that the Council spent additional time assessing the future requirements of parking contracts that the Council would need to have in place and how this would impact on new service  models and specifications.

2.2       Following on from the strategy to remove the technology services elements  from the Business Processing and Technology Services Contract for future services, this direct award will allow time for the implementation of a new parking technology software solution to be delivered under a separate contract. The Council wants to be in a position where it is able to provide details of the software solution that underpins both the Business Processing Parking Services Contract and the People and Resources Services Contract to potential providers for new contracts which will be procured to commence in 2023.

2.3       The design of the future operating model for Parking Services has now been finalised and the project team are now at the latter stages of developing relevant procurement strategies. This is pending internal governance approval with the re-procurement to be issued shortly there afterwards once governance approvals have been obtained. Re-procured new service contracts are planned to commence from 1 April 2023, and it is necessary to have the current services provided in the interim until 1 April 2023.