Issue - meetings

The report considers bringing the majority of the borough bedding contract in-house to maintain the quality of the service required within the current approved budget.

Following consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Agreed that the contract for the borough bedding scheme be brought back in-house to commence on 1 January 2019.

(2)          Agreed that a procurement exercise be conducted for the borough hanging basket/troughs to commence on 1 January 2019.

The Committee received a report proposing that the majority of the borough flower bedding contract be brought in-house from 1 January 2019. It was proposed that only hanging baskets and troughs would be tendered for contract.

The Committee was informed that bringing the planting and maintenance of the Council’s flowerbeds in-house would enable the quality of the service to be maintained within its existing budget. An estimation from the existing contractor had indicated that a 26% increase in the cost of the service would be encountered if the existing contract were to be renewed.

The Committee considered the following matters:

a)            Volunteer groups. The Committee was informed that the in-house service would complement, not replace voluntary groups who currently maintained a number of flower beds within the Borough.

b)            Maintenance of beds. Officers informed the Committee that bringing the service in-house would enable a rolling programme of improvements to the flower beds to be put in place. This would include both replacing soil and repairing structural elements of the beds, and would be implemented on a rolling basis over several years.

Following consideration, the Committee:

(1)          Agreed that the contract for the borough bedding scheme be brought back in-house to commence on 1 January 2019.

(2)          Agreed that a procurement exercise be conducted for the borough hanging basket/troughs to commence on 1 January 2019.