Civic betterment and community facility support services

Tender description

Preston Youth Zone (PYZ) is a project that forms part of the larger programme of activity that is taking place in the regeneration of the Preston Bus Station and multi-storey car park in Lancashire. PYZ can be described as co-locating universal positive activities for young people with targeted services for those young people seeking specialist support. Lancashire County Council are seeking to procure an operator of the PYZ who will take on the operational and financial risk associated with delivering the PYZ. Providers interested in this opportunity are asked to register their interest by contacting the lead officer by 30 October 2017 and registering on the Council's tendering site. Preston Youth Zone (PYZ) is a project that forms part of the larger programme of activity that is taking place in the regeneration of the Preston Bus Station and multi-storey car park in Lancashire. PYZ can be described as co-locating universal positive activities for young people with targeted services for those young people seeking specialist support, creating a progressive development of an already tried and tested Youth Zone concept. PYZ is to be co-located with the County Council's Youth Offending Team (YOT) in a freestanding building, which will be constructed on the western apron of Preston Bus Station. The remaining area of the western apron will be developed as public open space and will not be used as part of the operating bus station and multi-storey car park. The building is split into three levels and will host a variety of spaces including sports hall, kick pitch, boxing ring, climbing wall, dance, music and fitness studios, changing rooms, reception area and café. YOT will have its own dedicated space within the building with an element of ‘shared space’ with PYZ such as the reception area and toilet facilities. The PYZ is to offer young people the chance to learn new skills, make new friends, and develop their own interests, as well as having the right access to the information, support and guidance they may need to develop their lives. Following construction of the building which will host the PYZ and YOT, the Council intends to lease the building at a peppercorn rent to an Operator for up to a maximum period of 25 years. The Council has made a commitment to provide a revenue contribution of £150k p.a. for an implied initial period of 10 years, though in any subsequent procurement exercise, tenderers may score higher marks in the financial evaluation if their financial model reduces this contribution amount (subject to the development of said evaluation criteria). The Operator will take on the operational and financial risk associated with delivering the PYZ. It is envisaged that the Operator will need to secure private sector contributions from sponsors, arrange contributions from other public sector partners, as well as charging a nominal fee for young people to access the activities to cover costs. The Operator will also need to provide a capital contribution of £1 million towards the construction costs of building the PYZ. Lancashire County Council will contribute circa £6 million towards the design and construction of the PYZ. It is intended that a procurement exercise to contract with an Operator will be undertaken under the scope of the Concessions Contracts Regulations 2016. Providers interested in this opportunity are asked to register their interest by contacting the lead officer by 30.10.2017 and registering on the Council's tendering site.