Issue - meetings

To advise Members on the process for the procurement of consultants to assist in the preparation of the Cullompton Town Centre Masterplan and Delivery Plan (SPD). 

The Committee had before it and NOTED a *report from the Head of Planning, Economy and Regeneration, presented by the Area Planning Officer, outlining the procurement process for the Contact Award for the Cullompton Town Centre Masterplan.

She outlined the contents of the report which advised Members of the procurement process for the employment of consultants to assist in the preparation of the Cullompton Town Centre Masterplan and the Delivery Plan.

She explained the next steps of the process and that stage 1 would be a public consultation exercise to be completed by the end of the year.

Members expressed a desire that lessons learned from the public consultation exercise in Cullompton regarding the link road be implemented.

Members discussed the number of suppliers who had submitted an expression of interest and that a single supplier had actually submitted a response by the tender deadline.

The Procurement Manager explained that there were issues with the number of skilled trades willing to tender for contracts due to them being employed on the Hinkley Point project. He explained that the Council would try to pre-empt this in the future with pin notices in advance of tenders.

A Member expressed a concern that previous Town Centre Masterplans had not been implemented and that the public were questioning the amount of money spent on them and them not being taken forward. The Area Planning Officer offered to go through the stages of previous Masterplans and explain what had been implemented.

The Chief Executive explained to Members that once the Town Centre Masterplan reached implementation stage it would be down to Members to agree the details. He explained that the work being undertaken was intended to form part of the Council’s development and planning framework, giving far greater strength and planning ‘weight’ to it than perhaps the vision or idea documents of the past.

Notes:

1.    *Report previously circulated and attached to the minutes

2.    Cllr R L Stanley left and returned to the meeting during the item and did not take part in the discussion