The Corporate Director Communities presented a report which sought Cabinet approval to suspend the relevant Contract Procurement Rules and to enter into a service level agreement with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) for the management of the council’s traffic signals.

She explained that the monitoring and management of traffic signals had previously been managed through the Joint Venture consultancy arrangement between Capita Redstart, Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC), Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (RCTCBC) and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council (MTCBC).

She added that RCTCBC had taken ‘in-house’ the management of traffic signals, which resulted in a TUPE of staff from the Joint Venture to RCTCBC from March 2021. As a result the Joint Venture no longer has the capability to continue to provide this monitoring service for BCBC.

RCTCBC had offered BCBC the opportunity, via a service level agreement, to have BCBC traffic signals monitored by RCTCBC with no detriment in service level or cost of service which is circa £35,000 per annum.

The Corporate Director Communities explained that consideration had been given to our own in-house provision and this suggested that apart from the requisite monitoring software and equipment there would also be the requirement for additional staffing to carry out the monitoring and technical expertise in the adjustment of traffic signals. These factors alone suggested costs in excess of £35,000. She outlined the benefits of RCTCBC managing the traffic signalling service as listed at 4.3 of the report.

She explained that to enter into this agreement, BCBC would need to suspend the Contract Procedure Rules. Officers had considered the benefits of joint working with RCTCBC against the risks of not complying with the council’s Contract Procedure Rules, and believe on balance that a collaborative working arrangement with RCTCBC represented both good value, maximised public safety and was proposed as the preferential way forward.

The Cabinet Member Communities welcomed the report and stated that the previous staff that worked on the joint venture had moved across to RCTCBC and had the necessary skills and knowledge to provide an effective service.

The Cabinet Member Social Services and Early help echoed the comments and believed that procuring from a partner and bordering local authority made sense given the level of expertise that they had on our traffic system.

RESOLVED:                                   That Cabinet:

 ·  suspended the relevant parts of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules in respect of the requirements relating to the procurement of the provision of traffic signal monitoring which RCTCBC would fulfil;

·   delegated authority to the Corporate Director – Communities to approve the final terms of the service level agreement with RCTCBC and arrange execution of the collaboration agreement on behalf of the Council, subject to such delegated authority being exercised in consultation with the Chief Officer – Legal, HR and Regulatory Services and Interim Chief Officer – Finance, Performance and Change.