Transport systems consultancy services

Tender description

As a result of this tender process, the Council sought to appoint suitable Provider(s) to a Framework for Transport Technical Services Support to deliver high quality and cost effective provision of strategic transport schemes for Sefton. Following on from the Liverpool City Region ‘transport pipeline schemes’ process, a programme of strategic transport schemes for Sefton has been developed and discussed and agreed with elected Members. These schemes are at various stages of development, but all will require detailed appraisal, development and design if they are to be funded and delivered. In addition, Sefton’s Local Plan has recently been adopted and there are significant emerging proposals for development of the key town centres of Bootle, Southport and Crosby, all of which will require a review of transport and access issues. As a result of this tender process, the Council sought to appoint suitable Provider(s) to a Framework for Transport Technical Services Support to deliver high quality and cost effective provision of strategic transport schemes for Sefton. Following on from the Liverpool City Region ‘transport pipeline schemes’ process, a programme of strategic transport schemes for Sefton has been developed and discussed and agreed with elected Members. These schemes are at various stages of development, but all will require detailed appraisal, development and design if they are to be funded and delivered. In addition, Sefton’s Local Plan has recently been adopted and there are significant emerging proposals for development of the key town centres of Bootle, Southport and Crosby, all of which will require a review of transport and access issues. The Council does not have the capability or capacity to undertake all the elements of work involved in developing and delivering this programme of strategic transport investment and technical support and evidence gathering for the town centre development strategies. It is clear that with a significant number of projects all necessitating development within 2017/18 and 2018/19, there is significant pressure on staff within the Strategic Transport Planning and Investment and Highways Design and Development teams. The process of scheme development and preparation of business cases frequently requires extensive data collection and review and specialised pieces of work utilising specific software packages, particularly in relation to economic costs and benefits. The Council does not have the resources to undertake such assessments and in order to be in a position to bid for City Region funding to invest in the Borough’s infrastructure we need to be able to call on these services, often at short notice. Other services where the Council may need to procure assistance include traffic modelling, economic assessment, transport and access studies, review of planning related transport assessments, junction modelling and engineering design, wider economic impacts and contract supervision. The timescales for funding bids are often quite short, requiring work to be started immediately and completed in a short space of time. Where the Council does not have the capability in house, there is often insufficient time to complete a procurement exercise to commission the work. To be able to take advantage of funding opportunities, the Council has determined that it would be prudent to establish a contract where such services can be provided at short notice. It was proposed to procure a service provider to assist in providing technical expertise and capability that is either not currently available or where there is insufficient staff resource within the Council.