Construction work

Tender description

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council is seeking to procure a partner(s) for the Better Queensway regeneration project to carry out the planning, demolition, preparation, design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of new residential units, commercial and retail units, public spaces as well as highway works under that arrangement. Southend-on-Sea is a large urban area situated on the north side of the Thames Estuary with approximately 179 000 residents. The Better Queensway Regeneration Project (the ‘Project’) is a flagship project for the Council, and forms part of the Council’s vision ‘Creating a better Southend’. The Project will regenerate the Queensway area of Southend-on-Sea over the coming years and is an ambitious high spend initiative for the Council. With a focus on high quality design, a high standard of development and environmental sustainability, the Project will deliver a new mixed-use redevelopment for an area adjacent to the town centre which requires regeneration for the benefit of both place and people. The aim of the regeneration is to enhance and complement the environment in which it sits, recognising the strengths and purpose of the existing community identity. The Council’s ambition for Better Queensway is for it to be an exemplar of a transformational town centre and housing estate regeneration scheme. The Project includes property and infrastructure works that will transform a site of approximately 5 hectares near to 2 mainline railway stations which link to London Liverpool Street and London Fenchurch Street. The site is also located within a 10 minute walk from the Thames Estuary seaside. The Council’s plans for the site include the demolition of the existing 441 dwellings (mainly spread across 4 tower blocks) to deliver an estimated 1 300 units of mixed-tenure accommodation (including re-provision of the 441 affordable homes and a further increase on this number), commercial space and the potential covering over of the grade separated highway to reconnect the urban landscape. Highway infrastructure development is envisaged to increase connectivity across the site and to address noise and pollution levels caused by this significant road (Queensway) running through the centre of a residential development. A key component of the project envisaged by the Council is that it will comply with the Council’s policies such as: social value, air quality, energy and sustainability, lettings and decant and strategies including: planning, physical activity and BID. To achieve the objectives of the project, the Council also requires a partnership which will deliver the project in accordance with 12 themes: — partnership approach and principles, — placemaking, — planning, — housing, — commercial (non residential), — environment sustainability, — smart cities, — social value, — land assembly, — highways, — finance, — legal. The Council seeks proposals from the market to design a solution that meets its objectives and is thus not prescribing a partnership structure. The duration of the partnership is for a 30 year term. The Council anticipates it will enter into a partnership venture under which a contractor(s) will be appointed to carry out the demolition, preparation, design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of new residential units, commercial units, public spaces as well as highway works under that arrangement. The type of legal entity that will appoint the contractor(s) could vary depending on tenderers’ proposals. The Council anticipates entering into such a partnership via a joint venture partnering agreement. The Council will invest its land in the partnership but all other funding approaches are to be developed as part of the funding solution developed through the competitive dialogue procedure. The Council recognises the opportunity for it to act as a senior lender and is willing to consider any structural mechanisms/alternative joint venture structures that may deliver commercial benefit to both parties. The securing of capital, funding and/or investment will form part of the partnership solution, as will the marketing and positioning of the real estate developed.