New highways and environmental maintenance contract set to be procured

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet will next week (19 October 2016) be asked to approve the start of a re-procurement exercise for Shropshire Council’s highways and environmental maintenance services contract, which will take at least a year to complete.

The current contract expires at the end of its full contracted six-year term on 31 March 2018.

Shropshire Council and the current contractor Ringway have mutually agreed that the option to extend for a further four years will not be exercised.

The Cabinet report focuses on the proposed delivery model and arrangements for highways and environmental maintenance from 1 April 2018 onwards.

It proposes a ‘term service’ approach with a single contractor delivering highways maintenance and environmental maintenance services.

Simon Jones, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“The aim is to reflect the changes to the pressures that the service faces, and the ongoing financial pressures that the council faces. We also want to position the council and the service so that we’re better able to support delivery of works and services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year, across more than 5,000 kilometres of roads and open spaces, dealing with bridge engineering, highways maintenance, removal of fly tips, winter maintenance, emergency responses and much more.

“Shropshire Council and Ringway are both mutually working together to ensure the transition is seamless both in terms of people and service.”

During 2015 and 2016 a variety of research, methods and evidence-based processes were utilised in order to inform the process, and to identify the most appropriate model. A series of workshops, visits, discussions, early contractor involvement and market research were undertaken with the highways maintenance providers, suppliers, clients, local authorities, industry bodies and small and medium providers.

Five key strategic drivers have been identified that currently, and will continue to, drive the service:

• Customer satisfaction
• Asset network condition
• Local engagement
• Modernisation
• Value for money

A robust procurement project timetable has been developed to ensure that there’s a sufficient mobilisation period with Ringway.

Further information

A ‘term service’ contract is intended to be used for the appointment of a supplier for a period of time to manage and provide a service.