Agenda item

This report provides an update on the Grantham Meres Decarbonisation Scheme and seeks approval for the procurement of a contractor to undertake the works.

Purpose of report

This report provides an update on the Grantham Meres Decarbonisation Scheme and seeks approval for the procurement of a contractor to undertake the works.

Decision

That Cabinet:

1.    Notes the updates to progress a decarbonisation scheme at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre.

2.    Delegates authority to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, to utilise a framework in order to direct award to a contractor to supply and install Solar PV at Grantham Meres Leisure Centre.

3.    Delegates authority to the Deputy Chief Executive in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Waste, to utilise a framework in order to direct award to a contractor to carry out the design and installation of an upgraded low carbon heating system.

Alternative options considered and rejected

­Report back to Cabinet for delegated authority after the framework route was finalised and contract documents agreed. This would have delayed the project significantly due to the next Cabinet meeting being in September, which would have created a high risk of missing deadlines set out by Salix as a condition of the PSDS grant funding, and missing deadlines by Sport England as a condition of the grant SPSF funding.

Do not enter into a direct award framework and instead go to open market tender. Welland Procurement had advised an open tender process would not conclude until December and would require further authorisations, which would have delayed the project significantly due to open market process. This would have created a high risk of missing deadlines set out by Salix as a condition of the grant funding and would have jeopardised any delivery of the solar PV installation.

Reasons for decision

Delegating authority to the Deputy Chief Executive and S151 officer, to enter into an appropriate framework to direct award to a suitable contractor to carry out the required works, using the grant provided from Salix and Sport England, the Council could then be confident that due diligence checks were carried out on the chosen supplier, as part of the framework criteria, and the Council could then begin to plan and commence required works in line with both the Salix and Sport England grant funding criteria.

The funding received through the Swimming Pool Support Fund (Phase II) had been used for the completed installation of pool covers at the Meres Leisure Centre, as well as planned solar PV panel works.

Further significant funding had been received through Phase 3c of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS).

There were challenging deadlines to adhere to:

·         The solar PV system at the Meres Leisure Centre must be operational by February 2025.

·         Design phase for low carbon heating system must be completed by April 2025, with the installation and commissioning to follow in April 2026.

Together the schemes produced a significant reduction in carbon footprints putting the Meres Leisure Centre on track to be a ‘net zero’ facility. There would also be added benefits of improved comfort for centre users, and more stable energy costs.

The solar PV panels would be ethically sourced.