DD2275 Promotion – East London Centre Business Plan

Mayoral Decision 2049 approved expenditure of £3.5m for the financial years 2017-19 to fund the establishment of the new Royal Docks EZ Delivery Team, to enable the preparation of an EZ Detailed Delivery Plan and implement an early programme of regeneration and promotional activity to drive forward the potential of the EZ and, critically, to achieve early business rate income.

The next two years are critical in the 25-year lifetime of the Royal Docks EZ. With key development sites moving into the delivery phase and a comprehensive programme of placemaking and activation about to be progressed, there is an urgent need to provide a more co-ordinated promotional and engagement effort alongside key development partners. An East London Centre will help to communicate the change regionally as well as nationally and internationally and ensure the proposed growth and regeneration ambitions can be realised.

In 2017, the NLA were commissioned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the London Borough of Newham (LBN) to scope out options for establishing an East London Centre – a physical space in the Royal Docks, which could accommodate the expanding Royal Docks Delivery Team and also create a centre for discussion, debate and more joined-up promotion.

The approved budget for promotional and marketing activity in MD2049 was £250,000 of revenue expenditure. This budget has been fully allocated with previous approvals of DD2201, DD2252 and ADD2146 which was progressed under the authority of the original MD. This additional request £36,800 of revenue expenditure for New London Architecture/Pipers to prepare a detailed business plan for an East London Centre is an extension of the activity noted in ADD2146 will be incurred in 2018-19 financial year. (£36,800 revenue)

Further details of this piece of work are sensitive and have been included in Part 2 of this paper.

The objectives of the commission(s) are to:

- Establish whether an East London Centre will realise its objectives and be deliverable (in capital terms) and viable (in operation); and

- Further objectives and expected outcomes are available in Part 2 of this paper.

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation; and
• Advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

NLA/Pipers Projects seeks to reach a wide and diverse audience to engage Londoners in the built environment that surrounds them. The project will engage with the borough’s residents, including school groups and community forums to ensure this wide coverage, to deliver on the London Borough of Newham’s Convergence objectives. Equalities considerations will be considered by the GLA in connection with all the work procured.

This decision requests approval for an additional revenue expenditure of £36,800 for NLA/Pipers to undertake a detailed business plan for an East London Centre in the Royal Docks. DD2201, DD2252 and ADD2146 approved £288,000 for promotional and marketing activity, taking the total promotional expenditure to £324,800.

The above expenditure will be funded from the Royal Docks £3.5m EZ Delivery Budget (MD2049) and will be incurred in 2018-19.

The additional expenditure is exempt from the GLA Contracts and Funding Code under section 10.1 to appoint without a competitive tendering exercise on the basis of their specific expertise in the proposed work that will take account of their previous strategic research and exhibitions.

Section 30 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999 (as amended) (“GLA Act”) gives the Mayor a general power to do anything which he considers will further one or more of the principal purposes of the GLA as set out in section 30(2) which are:

(1) promoting economic development and wealth creation in Greater London;

(2) promoting social development in Greater London; and

(3) promoting the improvement of the environment in Greater London.

Sections 1 to 4 of this report indicate that:

(1) the decision requested of the assistant director falls within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the discharge of the GLA’s general functions as set out at section 6.1 above; and

(2) in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’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 promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and

c. consult with appropriate bodies.

In taking the decisions requested, the assistant director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, to advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, gender, religion or belief, sexual orientation) and to foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. To this end, the assistant director should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Section 9.1 of the Code requires the GLA to seek a call-off from a suitable framework where possible or, if not, undertake a formal tender process to procure such services in relation to all contracts for goods or services with a value above £10,000. However, the assistant director may approve an exemption from this requirement under section 10 of the Code upon certain specified grounds. Section 10.2 of the Code also requires the GLA to explain how it intends to obtain value for money when seeking an exemption from the Code.

Section 10.1 of the GLA Contracts & Funding Code states that one reason for an exemption is where a proposed supplier has had previous involvement in the specific current project. Officers have indicated in section 1 of this report that this ground applies, and that the proposed contract affords value for money.

Officers must ensure to append a completed Single Source Request Form to this decision form in accordance with section 10 of the Code.

On this basis the assistant director may approve the proposed exemption if satisfied with the content of this report.