Decision details

The Council intends to move to a sovereign Legal Services structure as of 1st April 2018. In order to implement this structure it is necessary to serve notice on the section 113 arrangements for Legal Services with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council.  This report also proposes a change to fees for legal work undertaken on application of a developer and that arrangements be made for the provision of contract and procurement legal advice within the sovereign service.

Reasons for urgeny:

Notice must be served before the end of March in order to create a new sovereign service on 1st April.

1.    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to serve notice on the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council to end the Section 113 agreement for Legal Services, by agreement between the parties and waive the required 12 months’ notice.

2.    That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director of Finance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to vary the current section 113 arrangements for a shared legal services with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster City Council in order to end the shared arrangements as soon as possible and with minimal risk.

3.    That the Council call off the LBLA Framework in order to award a 12 month contract to Sharpe Pritchard Solicitors for contract and procurement legal advice from 1st April 2018.

4.    That authority be delegated to the Monitoring Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance, to finalise the terms and conditions and take any other necessary steps to implement the decision in 3 above.

As set out in the report.

As set out in the report.