Decision details

Authorise the award of the Nene Bridge Bearings bridge works to Skanksa Construction UK Ltd through the Council's Peterborough Highway Services Contract 2013-2013

Nene Bridge was constructed in 1984 by the Development Corporation and is located on a primary traffic route that has been identified as key for the development and growth of the city. It has been identified that the bridge pier bearings have deteriorated to a condition where significant maintenance is required in order to keep the route operational. Failure to maintain would have significant detrimental effects to both current daily traffic movements and future growth, forcing traffic limits at best and closure at worst.

Bridge bearings transfer loads and movements from the bridge deck to the substructure and foundations and in order for Nene Bridge to remain operational for its 120 year design life the bearings need to function efficiently. Condition surveys have identified that the bearings have deformed and subsequently, the working life of the structure may be significantly reduced. Replacing the bearings will ensure that the bridge can accommodate current traffic volumes and realign the structures condition in line with its 120 year design life.

The Peterborough Long Term Transport Strategy (2011-2026) and the fourth Peterborough Local Transport Plan (2016-2021) were developed in consultation with a wide range of key stakeholders. The Council considered a range of transport interventions to best address local problems, meet the growth aspirations of the city and integrate the Government’s transport priorities agreed nationally by the Local Government Association and the DfT. The assessment and appraisal of options involved included the following:

·         Policy Fit (meets objectives of the strategy)

·         Cost Benefit Analysis (value for money)

·         Key Performance Indicator Assessment

·         Network Improvement Impact Assessment

·         Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)

·         Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)

·         Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA)

In the future there will be a new Local Transport Plan prepared by the Combined Authority.

The Highway Asset Management Policy and Strategy provides a clear position on how the Council will maintain the highway network to ensure that it is adequate to support the growth of the city and specifically to meet the Council’s Strategic Priorities.

Key aspects of the Highway Asset Management Policy and Strategy include:

·         Acknowledgement that effective asset management is critical to the delivery of its services and the realisation of the Council’s long term vision and strategy;

·         Asset management principles enable informed decisions to be made about investment and maintenance funding, assist in the targeting of resources to where they can be most effective, and enables the identification and management of the risks associated with statutory duties to manage and maintain public infrastructure;

·         To promote a strategic and forward thinking approach to managing the highway network to give confidence to decision makers to take current and future planned maintenance decisions.

The contract for highway services has been delivered by Skanska since October 2013 with the establishment of Peterborough Highways Services (an informal collaborative “partnership” between PCC and Skanska to deliver highway related services across the unitary authority area) and award of the Highway Services Contract (the “Contract”). This process was ratified by a Cabinet Member’s Decision Notice (AUG13/CMDN/068).

It is proposed that pier bearing replacements will be carried out by Skanska through the Professional Services element of the Highway Services Contract (2013-2023). This element is referred to within Schedule 5 of the Contract (Description of the Services).  The award of this package of works is undertaken in accordance with clause Z44 and Schedule 2 of the Highway Services Contract.

Following evaluation of the alternative procurement mechanisms it is considered that the Highway Services Contract provides the most suitable delivery mechanism for the pier bearing replacement works.  The award of this package of works under the existing Contract complies with Regulation 72(e) Public Contracts Regulations 2015.  Utilising the existing Highway Services Contract will mean that the Council will realise the following benefits:

·         Reduced procurement costs by using an existing framework contract.

·         Improved project management and cost certainty through the utilisation of a target cost style of contract.

·         Reduced construction costs through ‘Early Contractor Involvement’ (ECI) at the design stage to manage and mitigate more effectively any potential issues with the scheme.

Further details in relation to the contract award can be viewed under the web link stated in Section 14 Background Documents.

Project Budget Profile

2015/16 (£2,305.98 Capitalised)

£2,305.98   Design Fees to Skanska

2016/17 (£158,076.23 Capitalised)

£153,992.63   Design Fees to Skanska

£1,351.64   Network Rail

£2,731.96   Staff Fee Capital Recharge

2017/18 (£220k estimate)

£125k  Design Fees to Skanska (estimate)

£5k      Staff Fee Capital Recharge (estimate)

£90k    Construction Cost to Skanska (estimate)

2018/19 (£4,187k estimate) –

(Slippage from 2017/18 £3,887k + £300k from LTP Annex)

£42k    Network Rail for BAPA (PO from PCC direct)

£5k      Staff Fee Capital Recharge (estimate)

£4,140k Construction costs to Skanska

2019/20 (£518k estimate from LTP Annex)

£515k  Construction Costs to Skanska (estimate)

£3k      Staff Fee Capital Recharge (estimate)

            Total Estimated Cost £5,085,382.21 of which Skanska costs make up £5,026,298.61

Not to deliver a programme of works: A do-nothing scenario has been ruled out, due to the necessity to ensure the structure is safe and maintain an operational primary traffic route.

Competitive tender: approaching the open market would incur additional costs and delay the start date of the works. Delay to the scheme may result in the condition deteriorating further with network implications furthermore Peterborough City Council undertook a thorough tender process to award the Peterborough Highways Contract, ratified by a Cabinet Member’s Decision Notice (AUG13/CMDN/068).

None.

Used to prepare this report, in accordance with the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985) and The Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012

·         Peterborough Local Transport Plan 4 (2016 – 2021)

http://www.peterborough.gov.uk/ltp

·         Highway Asset Management Policy and Strategy (2016)

https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/residents/transport-and-streets/highway-assetmanagement/#PolicyAndStrategy

·         Peterborough Highway Services contract (2013-2023)

Cabinet Member’s Decision Notice (AUG13/CMDN/068)

http://democracy.peterborough.gov.uk/documents/s17190/PHS%20CMDN%20V5%20Final%20pub.pdf