Decision details

This report sets out the proposed contract awards for sovereign insurance contracts for Engineering Inspection and Motor Insurance for contract commencement dates of 1st April 2020.

Reasons for urgency:

This is an urgent decision because the engineering inspection contract is for the delivery of statutory inspections of the Council’s lifts, boilers and other pressure vessels, ensuring legal compliance. The intention is to award the contract to a new supplier, who require a minimum mobilisation period of 6 weeks to schedule the first round of inspections that will be due from 1st April 2020. If the contract is not awarded urgently there is a risk of statutory non-compliance and a corresponding health and safety risk to the Council’s employees, visitors and residents.

1.    Appendices 2 and 3 to this report are exempt from disclosure on the grounds that they contain information relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person (including the authority holding that information) under paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information”.

2.    It is recommended that the Strategic Director, Finance and Governance, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Commercial Services, approve the following contract awards:

2.1 Engineering Inspection – Zurich Municipal; at £97,077.86 excluding VAT for year 1 and based on a fixed rate for the first three years of the Long-Term Agreement, with an option for the contract to be extended for up to 2 further years.

2.2 Motor insurance – Zurich Municipal; at £11,992.78 including Insurance Premium Tax, for year 1 and based on a fixed rate for a 4-year Long-Term Agreement.

The Engineering Inspection contract was last tendered in 2014/15 and was due to be retendered. This service is required to comply with the Council’s statutory obligations for certain items of plant such as Lifts and Boilers, ensuring they are certified as safe for continued service in compliance with the Health and Safety Executive regulations. This compliance testing must be carried out by certified and qualified engineers independent to those responsible for routine maintenance and repair services at the Council.