Agenda and minutes

(Head of Research and Democratic Services). To declare interests in any items on the agenda.

In considering whether to declare a personal or a prejudicial interest under the Code of Conduct, Overview & Scrutiny members are asked pay particular attention to paragraph 11 of the Code in addition to the more familiar requirements.

This requires the declaration of a personal and prejudicial interest in any matter before an OS Committee which relates to a decision of or action by another Committee or Sub Committee of the Council, a Joint Committee or Joint Sub Committee in which the Council is involved and of which the Councillor is also a member.

Paragraph 11 does not refer to Cabinet decisions or attendance at an OS meeting purely for the purpose of answering questions or providing information on such a matter.

No declaration of interest were reported pursuant to the Council’s Code of Conduct.

Attached.

Noted.

To note the attached terms of reference and associated work plan.

Noted.

Noted that the consultants for the parking enforcement contract had agreed to attend the next meeting of the Panel on 7 November 2006. The final report of the Panel on this would be submitted to the December 2006 OSC.

(Head of Environmental Services). To consider the attached report.

The Chairman welcomed to the meeting Lyn Witham, and Gareth Morgan (Parking Associates Limited) and also Paul Blakely, (Parking Manager EFDC Environmental Services).

Ms Witham, reported that, a while ago, EFDC asked Parking Associates Ltd to put together a report on its Parking Enforcement services. She advised that the aim of the report was to consider the options for letting a new contract for the service bearing in mind EFDC’s existing contract with Vinci Park was due to expire in October 2007. She advised that the report covered the existing services offered and required decisions to be made on the form of the new contract and the provisions its should contain.

In presenting the report, she reported some background to decimalised parking enforcement in Epping and options regarding the form of the new contract. She stressed the need to ensure that the agreement offered a partnership between the Council and the service provider.

(a)         Form of Contract

She advised that the British Parking Associates (BPA) had introduced a new from of contract using open book accounting. The contract was designed to ensure greater accountability and transparency and deal with the provisions of the Traffic Management Act and the problems attached to traditional style contracts over investment and service quality.

It was reported that under this contract, the service provider would be required to submit six Key Performance Indicators (KPI) each month. A percentage of their total monthly payment  would be paid only on achievement of the targets. It was clarified that there were safeguards to ensure that all contractual requirements were met.

It was noted that the new contract would commence when the existing contract expired and would be let on the same basis with a contract term of five years.

Ms Witham reported the approximate annual costs and the services covered by the current contract and raised the possibility that the Council might be able to achieve cost savings on this price. The Panel noted that one option was to renew current arrangements. The Panel asked the consultants to project the cost of the contract under this option. It was envisaged that this figure could be used as a benchmark against which bids could be measured. The consultants undertook to provide this information. 

It was clarified that the Council determined policy on ticket issuing. The Council could suggest to the contractor that this be made the subject of a KPI. A provision on this could be added to the contract at a later stage.

RECOMMENDED:

That the British Parking Associates contract be used for the new agreement

In making this decision, it was noted that this option complied with government guidance which emphasised the need for fairness and would enable the Council to liaise with the contractor over the requirements of the new act. The Panel stressed that the provision for regular review should be included in the contract and the provision on contract termination.

(b)            Procurement Strategy

In terms of the procurement strategy, the aim was to achieve  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To determine whether any reports or issues need to be considered at the next meeting of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 9 November 2006.

There were no reports.

Noted that the next meeting would take place on 7 November 2006 at 7.00 in CR1.