FOI release

Costs of road and transport works

Case reference FOI2022/00292

Published 12 April 2022

Request

I would like to know the full details around:

a. The work carried out for plants at the link Road (500k)

b. How 2 x bike sheds (Gaol Street) are costing 30k

c. The details around the 700k for fixing the curb (Widemarsh Street).

If possible I would like to know:

how these prices were calculated

who approved them

how the prices were assessed

whether multiple quotations were requested in order to ensure value for money.

Response

a. The work carried out for plants at the link Road (500k)

The £500k figure was a budget allocation to this element of the project from when a Herefordshire Council Cabinet Member decision was taken to progress the scheme.

This element comprises the design development, fabrication and installation of 17 planters with trees, and the design and planting of 6 in ground trees with wild flower understorey planting.

Within the design and technical element of this project the activities included:

  • Identification of suitable locations

  • Highway safety checks

  • Utility identification and checks

  • Selection and approval of suitable tree species

  • Tree nursery selection and quality control visits to nurseries

  • Development of planting and watering detail including root barriers for in ground trees and below ground anchoring systems

  • Identification of and procurement of suitable sub-contractors.

Within the construction element of the project activities included:

  • Temporary Traffic Regulation Order for road closure

  • Traffic management planning and execution

  • Required notices and communications to those affected regarding works and closure

  • Health and safety planning and monitoring

  • Fabrication of tree planters

  • Ordering and delivery of materials

  • Installation of planters and planting trees

  • Supervision of sub-contractor works

  • Quality checks of completed works.

The nature of the installations requires specific tree species, tree size (girth, height and form) and installation detail (anchoring system, irrigation and root barriers) suitable for the proposed locations together with operational requirements for working within the public highway. This introduces a number of requirements beyond that of a domestic tree planting project.

As a general note, planters have been used in a number of locations, rather than in-ground trees, such as on the central island of the City Link Road due to the incompatibility of tree root structure with the many underground services in these locations. The planters have been designed to allow for maximum room for the suitable mature tree specimen whilst providing flexibility of temporary relocations to provide access to the services if/when needed.

The breakdown of the costs is provided below. These were through the obtaining of quotations by Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) from sub-contractors to undertake the works. Balfour Beatty use an on-line procurement system - Jagger - to obtain quotations. Bidders make their submissions on the system covering commercial and technical requirements. The bid is managed by the BBLP Procurement Lead, with submissions evaluated by a commercial team member and a technical team member. The outcome of this informs the final sub contract award.

City Link Road Planters

BBLP Technical Input: £21,387.44

WSP Design: £18,129.37

Construction and installation: £213,678.88

Risk Register: £7,903.37

These works were commissioned on a lump sum basis.

City Link Road In-Ground Trees

BBLP Technical Input: £15,984.57

WSP Design: £14,460.29

Construction and installation: £91,248.45

These works were commissioned on a cost reimbursable basis. At present the final costs have not been received and therefore the figures above reflect the budget estimate for this element.

The anticipated outturn cost is £382,792.37 against the originally allocated budget of £500,000 due to an element of design savings and a reduction in quantity due to suitability of locations.

Proposals for the works were prepared by Balfour Beatty Living Places, and submitted to Herefordshire Council in line with the Public Realm Services Contract. They were reviewed by Herefordshire Council officers in the contract management and project teams prior to orders being raised with Balfour Beatty Living Places. Further detail on the councils' appointment of Balfour Beatty Living Places on the Public Realm Contract and the project decision making is provided below.


b. How 2 x bike sheds (Gaol Street) are costing 30k

The Gaol Street cycle shelters comprises two bespoke cycle shelters with sedum roofs, in a style to match other new street furniture in the city centre. The cost includes the fabrication and installation of the shelters, together with design and construction of concrete slabs car park amendments and electrical installations to facilitate the shelters.

Within the design and technical element of this project the activities included:

  • Identification of suitable locations

  • Development of shelter structure design including green roof element

  • Utility identification and site survey

  • Foundation slab design and specification

  • Electrical design to ensure safe operation at night

  • Identification of and procurement of suitable sub-contractors.

Within the construction element of the project activities included:

  • Traffic management planning and execution within car park

  • Required communications to affected businesses/individuals regarding works and car park impacts

  • Health and safety planning and monitoring

  • Fabrication of cycle shelter

  • Ordering and delivery of materials

  • Installation of slabs and shelters

  • Electrical installation including feeder pillar, PIR column, ducting and new connection to Western Power Distribution main.

  • Supervision of sub-contractor works

  • Quality checks of completed works

The breakdown of the costs is provided below, the provision budget in the original decision was updated as the detail of the proposed installation had been developed. The costs were built up through the obtaining of quotations by Balfour Beatty Living Places from sub-contractors to undertake the works. Balfour Beatty use an on-line procurement system - Jagger - to obtain quotations. Bidders make their submissions on the system covering commercial and technical requirements. The bid is managed by the BBLP Procurement Lead, with submissions evaluated by a commercial team member and a technical team member. The outcome of this informs the final sub contract award.

BBLP Technical Input: £6,771.90

WSP Design: £2,091.79

Civils Work Construction: £18,924.94

Shelter Supply & Installation: £24,239.48

Risk: £886.37

These works were commissioned on a lump sum basis.

Proposals for the works were prepared by Balfour Beatty Living Places, and submitted to Herefordshire Council in line with the Public Realm Services Contract. They were reviewed by Herefordshire Council officers in the contract management and project teams prior to orders being raised with Balfour Beatty Living Places.


c. The details around the 700k for fixing the curb (Widemarsh Street).

The £700k figure was a budget allocation to this element of the project from when a Herefordshire Council Cabinet Member decision was taken to progress the scheme.

The design of this element is still underway and Herefordshire Council are currently considering the approach to take forward this element of the project. Proposals for undertaking the site works have not yet been prepared.

Who approved the works?

The Hereford City Centre Improvement programme (HCCI) has been running for a number of years, in a phased way. The improvements are designed to create an attractive, vibrant city centre to encourage visitors and shoppers to stay longer, spend and enjoy their leisure time, helping support existing businesses and create opportunities for retailers. The improvements also help create an excellent space for pedestrians and cyclists and ensure a clean and modern city centre.

Herefordshire Council has a robust and transparent governance process to ensure that decisions are made correctly. Following consultation with legal and finance, the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport decision of 3 December 2020 set out that the streetscape elements of the HCCI project were within the scope of the core services of the public realm contract and therefore could be commissioned using this route to enable the funding secured to be spent on the project elements within the funding timescales to prevent the loss of external grant funding. The public realm contract was implemented following a compliant OJEU (Official Journal of the European Union) process, and the rates for these services have been tested as part of the tendering process. A detailed brief and cost for these works was then prepared to evidence value for money through competition where relevant, on an open book basis. This was scrutinised and agreed prior to works commencing and any variation has been managed through a robust change control process to enable value for money to be achieved and demonstrated. Given the value of products and the requirement for specification together with installation, this is the route which best mitigated the risks of not achieving the required level of grant funding spend by March 2022. Following this decision, any further operational decisions were then made by the Director for Economy and Place to procure and deliver the elements and the Chief Financial Officer was authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to accept the LEP grant and vary the capital programme to incorporate the grant funding.

A further decision by the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Highways dated 7 October 2021 (again after consultation with Legal and Finance) provided an update on the HCCI project elements and agreed to progress the elements listed within the report including the elements of planters and in-ground trees on the City Link Road, the green-roofed cycle shelters and the works to Widemarsh Street Kerb. This report identified the funding allocations for each of the elements within the HCCI programme. It was also agreed that all further operational decisions were then delegated to the Director for Economy and Place in consultation with the Chief Financial Officer to progress and deliver the programme within the overall programme budget outlined and The Chief Financial Officer was authorised to vary the grant funding agreement if the Marches LEP agreed to the updated project elements and spend profile. Subsequently the Marches LEP agreed to the amendments to the project and to the funding allocations set out in the reports.

A further Record of Officer Decision (after consultation with legal and finance) is being prepared for approval by the Director of Economy and Environment for the purchase and installation of the City Link Road in-ground trees.

On 16 November 2021 a Record of Officer Decision was approved by the Director of Economy and Place (after consultation with legal and finance) for the purchase and installation of planters for the City Link Road. (The Record of Officer Decision taken 26 February 2021 outlined the value for money assessment that BBLP had undertaken to confirm a provider for the planters and approved the budget envelope.)

On 5 January 2022 a Record of Officer Decision was approved by the Interim Director for Economy and Place (after consultation with Legal and Finance) for the purchase of Green Cycle Shelters. The decision set out the assessments used to decide the supplier and reasoning behind the final choice.

Widemarsh Street Kerb has yet to receive a decision regarding a design solution as the review is still ongoing. Once an approach has been agreed, a decision will be made and published setting out and agreeing the construction costs. The budget allocation of £700K was set out in the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Highway decision of 7 October 2021.

Documents

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