To note the waiving of the Contract Procedure Rules in respect of the purchase of a 12 tonne narrow access vehicle

That the use of a contract waiver in respect of the purchase of a 12 tonne narrow access vehicle be NOTED.

31.1           The report of the Head of Community Services, circulated at Pages No. 59-61, described a contract waiver in respect of the purchase of a 12 tonne narrow access vehicle which had been agreed in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules. The waiver had been agreed by the Head of Paid Service, in consultation with the Leader of the Council, and the Committee was asked to note the waiver.

31.2           The Head of Community Services explained that the report was for information only and was submitted in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules which required that the use of an urgent waiver must be reported to the Executive Committee. He advised that on 4 December 2018, the Council had agreed to the purchase of a 12 tonne narrow access refuse and recycling collection vehicle and Tewkesbury Borough Council Officers, along with the fleet teams at Ubico, had subsequently carried out the initial stages of a procurement exercise to identify a suitable replacement. From the date of ordering a new vehicle built to the Council’s specification, it would normally take 45 weeks to build and deliver; however, Dennis Eagle had a vehicle which would be available within 17 weeks of ordering so placing an order with that company would significantly reduce the waiting time for the vehicle and therefore the associated costs of continuing to hire the current vehicle. It was on that basis that the contract waiver had been the preferred option.

31.3           Accordingly, it was