Decision details

Emergency Direct Award for Minibus Travel Care and Support Services.

Reasons for urgency:

Urgent decision required to direct award to new provider. New contract required to be in place by 29^th August to ensure ongoing delivery of statutory service. Currently confidential, information will be provided once this changes and in the report.

The Leader of the Council approves:

1.    That Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 to this report are exempt from disclosure on the grounds that they contain information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings under Paragraph 5 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972.

2.    A termination of the existing contract with HCT Group effective from 26 August 2022 as they have notified the Council that they will cease services from this date.

3.    A contract direct award to HATS Group Ltd from the 27 August 2022 to 31 July 2024 for the provision of minibus transport services at an annual cost of £2.301m. 

4.    The use of the policy contingency for 2022/23 (in consultation with and approval of the Cabinet Member for Finance and Reform) to fund £102,000 (including the one-off mobilisation payment of £75,385 to HATS Group Ltd). Future costs of £46,000 will be provisionally included in the base budget for 2023/24 subject to approval by Full Council in February 2023.

The current provider will cease providing services from 26 August 2022. There is therefore an urgent requirement to award a contract to a new provider to ensure the continued delivery of services.

A direct award for two years is therefore considered to be the best and only route for securing services in the current timeframe. Officers have progressed on this basis.