DELEGATED POWERS REPORT NO.

1419

SUBJECT: Contract R.M. Countryside Services Ltd for the removal of Pay and Display machines throughout the Borough Control sheet All of the following actions MUST be completed at each stage of the process and the signed and dated report MUST be passed to Governance Service for publishing
All reports 1. Governance Services receive draft report Name of GSO Date 2. Governance Services cleared draft report as being constitutionally appropriate 3. Finance clearance obtained (report author to complete) 4. Staff and other resources issues clearance obtained (report author to complete) Name of GSO Date Name of Fin. officer Date Name of Res. officer Date Name of TU rep. Date Name of Legal officer Date Name of P&P officer Date Name of officer Date Name Date Name of GSO Date Name of GSO Date Name of GSO Date Sheila Saunders 07.10.2011 Andrew Nathan 12.08.2011 Andrew Nathan 12.08.2011 Pam Wharfe 10.10.2011 Maria Lugangira 13.10.2011 Maria Lugangira 13.10.2011 Maria Lugangira 13.10.2011 Jeremy Williams 12.08.2011 Maria Lugangira 17.08.2011 Alex Altman 04.10.2011 Craig Cooper 12.08.2011 N/A

5. Trade Union response received (Staffing issues only) 6. Legal clearance obtained from (report author to complete) Policy & Partnerships clearance obtained (report author to complete) Equalities & Diversity clearance obtained (report author to complete) The above process has been checked and verified by Director, Head of Service or Deputy (report author to complete)

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10. Signed & dated report, scanned or hard copy received by Governance Service for publishing 11. Report published by Governance Service to website Officer reports: 12. Head of Service informed report is published and can be implemented. Cabinet Member reports: 13. Expiry of call-in period 14. Report circulated for call-in purposes to COSC members & copied to Cabinet & Head of Service

Date Name of GSO Date Date

N/A

ACTION TAKEN UNDER DELEGATED POWERS BY OFFICER (EXECUTIVE FUNCTION)

Subject

Contract R.M. Countryside Services Ltd for the removal of Pay and Display machines throughout the Borough Interim Director of Environment, Planning and Regeneration

Officer taking decision

Date of decision

10 October 2011

Summary

Authorisation to accept a quote from RM Countryside Services Ltd)to provide a service function to remove Pay and Display Machines from the public highway and Car Parks Michael Dolan, Interim Parking Maintenance Manager, Environment, Planning and Regeneration Public All None Not applicable

Officer Contributors Status (public or exempt) Wards affected Enclosures Reason for exemption from callin (if appropriate)

Contact for further information: Michael Dolan, Interim Parking Maintenance Manager, 020 8359 5161 Serial No. 1419

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RELEVANT PREVIOUS DECISIONS Delegated Powers report of the Director of Environment and Transport on 27th February 2009, titled Cashless Parking reviewed the trial of cashless parking in off street car parks and approved the appointment of Verrus (UK) Ltd to provide cashless parking services borough wide for two years. Cabinet report of the Cabinet Member for Environment & Operations on 29th November 2010, title Future of the Parking Service sought authority to initiate procurement for a new Parking Service to be provided externally which is anticipated to provide the Council with a significantly more efficient service and financial savings, and allow the Council to provide a better more efficient parking service to citizens. Delegated Powers report of the Interim Director of Environment and Operations on 18th March 2011, titled Contract with PayPoint Ltd to provide a cash option to the cashless parking services across the borough gave authorisation to obtain a quote from a single supplier (PayPoint Ltd) to provide a cash option to the cashless parking service on existing terms, and gave authorisation to accept the quote received from PayPoint Ltd and to purchase the service until the new arrangements for delivery of the entire parking service are in place. Delegated Powers report of the Interim Director of Environment and Operations and the Director of Commercial Services dated 24 March 2011, titled Extension of Contract with Verrus UK Ltd to provide cashless parking services across the borough gave authorisation to obtain a quote from a single supplier (Verrus UK Ltd) to continue the cashless parking service on existing terms, and gave authorisation to accept the quote received from Verrus UK Ltd and to purchase the cashless parking service until the new arrangements for delivery of the entire parking service are in place. Delegated Powers Report of the Cabinet Member for Environment dated 5 August 2011, titled Re-provision of Parking Services which gave authority to remove the pay and display machines following the provision of alternative methods of payment. CORPORATE PRIORITIES AND POLICY CONSIDERATIONS The removal of the ageing and underperforming pay and display infrastructure on the streets and in car parks as part of the modernisation of the Parking Service, in conjunction with the Councils intentions to adopt alternative forms of cash payment as outlined in this report, and the current pay by phone payment method, contributes to One Barnets principles of A relentless drive for efficiency and the Corporate priorities of Better services with less money and A successful London suburb through significant financial savings being made whilst generally retaining the service options, improved street scene through the removal of machines, increased footfall in town centre shops, and ultimately improved confidence in the parking regime in the borough.

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RISK MANAGEMENT ISSUES The existing pay and display machine infrastructure is not operating efficiently due to an aging stock and a lack of maintenance contracts with suppliers. There is a risk that retention of the pay and display stock will continue to incur high maintenance and running costs, problematic enforcement, vandalism, and impact on income. As a consequence this payment method is considered to be no longer viable, particularly as the existing alternative service option for paying to park via the Pay by Phone or Cashless technology is inexpensive to set up and administer. This is now well established in the borough and with other Local Authorities with almost half of all transactions made in this way.

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EQUALITIES AND DIVERSITY ISSUES Equalities Impact Assessments have been undertaken in respect of the introduction of both the Pay by Phone and Paypoint services, and as each is an additional means of payment no adverse impacts were found. A full Equalities Impact Assessment was undertaken on the implications of removing the Pay and Display machines and forms part of the Delegated Powers Report of 5th August 2011 referred to above. USE OF RESOURCES IMPLICATIONS (Finance, Procurement, Performance & Value for Money, Staffing, IT, Property, Sustainability) In compliance with Contract Procedure Rule 6 and Table 6-1 three quotations were requested and returned. However, once the specifications were confirmed and the programmed timetable provided, two of the tenderers withdrew. The proposal is to pay a fee of 128 per machine to remove each machine. This will allow for the removal of all 408 machines, a figure which includes machines currently not in use but still in position. The supplier will also replace existing low timeplate posts with regular posts to allow suitable signs to be erected at a further cost of 28,000. These prices are considered good value in comparison with using the term contract and with previous similar works undertaken in the past. The total fee for all works will be some 81,000 to be met from the Capital allocation for this project. LEGAL ISSUES The Council as Highway Authority has the necessary legal powers to operate paid parking schemes and to determine how the fees shall be paid by the introduction of Traffic Management Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. Pursuant to Regulation 21(i)(b) and Schedule 4 Part 1 of The Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) England and Wales) Regulations 1996, the council may, by use of a minor order, vary an order made under section 35 or 46(2) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, regulating the method, or requiring the use of apparatus, by which any charges for the use of a parking place are to be paid.

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The removal of the pay and display machines will be carried out in reliance upon a minor order as provided for by Regulation 21 (b) (i). CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS Constitution, Part 3, Responsibility for Functions, Section 6 Powers delegated to officers, paragraph 6.1 Chief Officers may, in all matters where they have managerial or professional authority, take decisions to authorise and accept quotations for contracts to the limits placed on Chief Officers by Contract Procedure Rules for approved schemes with sufficient estimate provision BACKGROUND INFORMATION A decision has been made to move entirely to cashless parking and to remove the existing pay and display machines. Three quotations were sought for the removal of the machines. Once the specifications were confirmed and the programmed timetable provided, two of the tenderers withdrew as they were unable to fulfil the requirements. R M Countryside is a known and trusted contractor that has worked with L B Barnet for some time providing consistently high quality work. They are detailed in the Environment, Planning and Regeneration procurement action plan, which shows that further procurement work will be required to confirm future contracts. LIST OF BACKGROUND PAPERS None OFFICERS DECISION I authorise the following action

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The acceptance of the quotation from R M Countryside Services for the removal of pay and display machines, removal of posts and erection of posts at a total cost of some 80,224. Pam Wharfe Interim Director of Environment, Planning and Regeneration.

Signed

Date

10.10.2011