Key information
Decision type: Director
Reference code: DD1506
Date signed:
Decision by: Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Executive Director of Development, Enterprise and Environment
Executive summary
The Royal Docks Opportunity Area Planning Framework (OAPF) is a joint project being undertaken with the London Borough of Newham (see DD1419). A working draft was issued for consultation in March 2016.
The Kingston OAPF Direction of Travel document will be issued for consultation in June 2016 (see ADD 414).
This decision requests approval for expenditure of up to £45,000 to procure consultancy services to produce full consultation draft OAPF documents for both the Royal Docks and Kingston.
Decision
That the Executive Director approves expenditure of up to £45,000 to competitively procure and commission consultancy services to provide specialist graphics, desktop publishing and printing costs for the Royal Docks and Kingston OAPF projects, bringing the total cost on Royal Docks and Kingston OAPF projects to £120,000. The expenditure up to £45,000 on this is to be funded from the Planning Pre-application reserves in 2016-17.
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 The Royal Docks and Kingston Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks (OAPF) are joint projects being undertaken with the London Boroughs of Newham and Kingston respectively. Both areas are anticipated to have significant growth over the next 10-15 years which will be accelerated by the introduction of Crossrail and Crossrail 2.
1.2 It is essential that specialist graphics and desktop publishing work is undertaken on these projects to enable their delivery to a high quality standard. It is proposed that specialist consultancy services are procured competitively for this purpose to enable the production of these documents. Bidders will be required to have experience in urban planning and previous knowledge of planning and regeneration documents in this context.
1.3 Neither the GLA planning team, nor the boroughs, have capacity to undertake work on the production of these OAPFs.
1.4 It is estimated that up to £45,000 may be required to cover the next phases of the documents, and take the Royals through to a final version for adoption by the Mayor in 2017, and Kingston to a formal consultation draft document by the end of 2016.
1.5 These projects are highly important as they contribute to the Mayor’s jobs and growth agenda. It is estimated that Royal Docks can provide at least 6,000 jobs and 11,000 homes with the impetus of a Crossrail Station opening at Custom House in 2018 and the planning for the associated major regeneration projects must commence now. Kingston was identified as a potential Opportunity Area in the 2015 London Plan, and there is significant potential for housing growth as a result of Crossrail 2.
2.1 The objective of these projects is to:
1. Produce the Royal Docks OAPF draft document in collaboration with Newham Council and issue for an 8 week consultation in Oct 2016;
2. Produce a final version of the Royal Docks OAPF, following consideration of the responses, by April 2017;
3. Produce the Kingston draft OAPF in collaboration with the Royal Borough of Kingston for consultation in Dec 2016.
3.1 In arriving at the recommended decision to approve this proposed budget, equalities issues have been considered in line with the GLA’s duties under the Equalities Act 2010. It is unlikely that this project will have negative equalities impacts but identified equalities issues (both positive and negative) will be covered in the Integrated Impact Assessment that will accompany the project. This will ensure that at each point of the drafting and consultation process for the proposed document, equalities impacts are considered and actions decided upon to address any emerging issues. The project will also be subject to a review and this will also address equalities impacts.
3.2 Given the regeneration focus of the proposed project, identification of relevant equalities groups and potentially vulnerable locally affected populations will be undertaken at the outset of the project. Population data is available for this purpose such as indices of deprivation used to identify regeneration areas in the London Plan. A detailed public consultation strategy will also need to be drawn up in consultation with the relevant Councils to ensure that any local hard to reach groups are engaged in the process to ensure that resulting document is appropriate and accessible to all and meets the needs of different Londoners.
4.1 These OAPF projects are closely linked to the Mayor’s agenda for jobs and growth in London. These documents will maintain the regeneration momentum of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and help guide substantial development in the Royal Docks over the next 10-15 years. The Kingston OAPF will support the delivery of Crossrail 2.
4.2 If the graphics and desktop publishing for these documents are not produced to an extremely high quality there is a risk that they will not maximise the potential of the areas and subsequently will not provide the platform to deliver jobs and growths in line with the Mayor’s 2020 vision priorities. The need for this service is immediate to meet the project deadlines.
4.3 Value for money will be achieved by procurement through competitive tendering, with the flexibility to appoint either a single bidder or separate bidders for each OAPF. This will ensure that the service will be procured in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code.
4.4 This project seeks to develop formal consultation drafts of the documents, and to take the Royal Docks OAPF through to adoption by the Mayor.
5.1 Directors Decision (DD) 1419 and Assistant Directors Decision (ADD) 259 approved a total expenditure of £47,000 on Royal Docks OAPF for specialist graphics, desktop publishing and printing costs. Similarly ADD 340 and ADD 414 approved total spend up to £28,000 on Kingston OAPF. Approval is now sought to spend an additional £45,000 on specialist consultant to prepare formal consultation draft OAPFs for the Royal Docks and Kingston. This will mean the total spend on Royal Docks and Kingston OAPF will be £120,000.
5.2 The expenditure up to £45,000 on this is to be funded from the Planning Pre-application reserves in 2016-17.
6.1 The sections above indicate that the decision requested of the mayor fall within his statutory power under section 30 of the Greater London Authority 1999 (as amended) (“the Act”), acting on behalf of the Authority, to do anything he considers will promote the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
(a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;
(b) consider how the proposals will affect:
i. the health of persons in Greater London,
ii. the health inequalities between persons living in Greater London;
iii. the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and
iv. climate change, and the consequences of climate change; and
(c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 The Authority also has a subsidiary power pursuant to Section 34 of the Act. This gives the mayor the authority to do anything which is calculated to facilitate or, is conductive or incidental to the exercise of any of the statutory functions of the Authority. In this case this piece of work is incidental to its section 30 powers defined above as well as its powers under section 334 and 339 of the Act.
6.3 Section 334 of the Act requires the mayor to prepare and publish a spatial development strategy (known as the London Plan). Section 339 of the Act requires the Mayor to keep the London Plan under review, especially matters which may be expected to affect the development of Greater London or the planning of its development. In this case, the decision to procure specialist technical services to under this work to inform the Opportunity Area Planning Frameworks in these two areas may reasonably be regarded as facilitating, being conductive or incidental to, the exercise of the Mayor’s power detailed above.
Conflict of interest
6.4 The fact that the production of these OAPFs is partly funded by developer money raises issues regarding conflicts of interest. To ensure that these are appropriately managed each developer has confirmed in writing that it will have no involvement or control over the production of the OAPF’s over or above that which they would normally have as an interested landowner. These OAPF’s will be produced by the Planning Unit, for adoption by the Mayor, quite independently from the developers. It will be drawn up in the context of the London Plan, and will be consistent with strategic guidance which that plan provides. When it comes to the stage of adoption, the decision will be made by the Mayor personally in the light of all the consultation responses and material considerations.
Provision of Discretionary Services
6.5 Section 93 of the Local Government Act 2003 (“the Act”) provides the Authority with the power to charge for discretionary services. Discretionary services are services that the Authority has the power, but is not obliged to provide. The power to charge is subject to a duty to secure that the income from charges does not exceed the cost of provision.
Procurement
6.6 Officers must ensure that appropriate legal documentation is put in place to adhere to the GLA Contracts and Funding Code.
Signed decision document
DD1506 Royals Kingston (signed) PDF