Purpose

Purpose:

To release funds and
award a multi-tender contract for six approved Play & Youth
Area schemes across 2025/26 and 2026/27, following a successful
procurement process.

Background:

On 20 March 2025, the Leader of the Council, in consultation with,
and agreement of, the Cabinet Member for Wellbeing approved the
allocation of play areas under the unsupervised play investment
programme, as set out in report HCS/088. Through this report it was
also agreed to group the six Play and Youth Area schemes together
within one tender, with Northgate Playing Fields MUGA to be
completed as a standalone contract.

Subsequently, the multi-site tender process for the related play
sites concluded on 20 June 2025, resulting in the selection of a
preferred supplier under the ESPO Framework Agreement No.
115.

Funding is fully covered by S106 and CIL Neighbourhood Improvement
Strand monies which have been approved through the appropriate
delegations.

Approved schemes:

- Northgate Playing Fields Youth Area (Northgate)
- Northgate Playing Fields Play Area (Northgate)
- Loppet’s Road Play Area (Tilgate)
- Ifield Green Play Area (Ifield)
- Woodcroft Road Play Area (Ifield)
- Hanbury Road Play Area (Ifield)

Northgate Playing Fields MUGA will be tendered
separately.

Content

To
release funds and award the contract to, Proludic Ltd, to deliver
the six approved Play & Youth Area schemes over 2025/26 and
2026/27. This decision was taken in consultation with the Deputy
Chief Executive and the Cabinet Member for Leisure and
Wellbeing.

Alternative options considered

Consideration has been given to how to
procure, manage and deliver the consultation and construction
stages within the available resources and process timescales.
Increasingly the tendering of single, often quite small, play
schemes is proving to be unattractive to the market and therefore
not attracting good value. Not awarding the contract would prevent
the Council from proceeding with the six approved schemes and
achieving best value.