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To extend our existing contract for archaeology support
services for a further 12 months.
 

Reasons for the decision

Specialist archaeology support
has been in place for some time. This has been effective and is
consistent with other Council’s approach to maintaining
service continuity and ensure the effective assessment of
archaeological matters. The service underpins the Council’s
ability to make sound, timely, and legally robust planning
decisions and to meet its statutory duties in relation to
archaeological stewardship. 
 

Continuity of specialist archaeology advice is
particularly important to avoid disruption to decision-making and
to ensure consistency in the application of policy, conditions and
enforcement action. The existing provider has developed a detailed
understanding of the Council’s processes, priorities, and
local archaeology issues, enabling advice to be delivered
efficiently and proportionately.

Without continued archaeology support, the Council
would be exposed to increased risks, including unsound or poorly
evidenced planning decisions, delays in application processing,
failure to adequately protect archaeology features and increased
likelihood of appeals or legal challenge. Such outcomes could
result in environmental harm, reputational damage and higher future
costs.
 
 

Alternative options considered

Option 1: Do Not Extend Specialist
Support

Under this option, the existing contract would not
be extended, and the Planning Service would operate without
dedicated specialist support.

This option is not considered appropriate. The
Council has statutory and policy responsibilities in relation to
archaeological matters. Without access to specialist expertise,
there would be a significant risk of unsound or poorly evidenced
planning decisions, delays in application processing, and increased
exposure to appeals or legal challenge. This could result in
environmental harm through the loss or inappropriate management of
important historical artifacts, together with reputational and
financial consequences for the Council.

Option 2: Procure Archaeological Support from an
Alternative Provider

This option would involve appointing an alternative
external provider through a new procurement exercise.
This option is not considered
appropriate at this time. It is not
considered that a competitive tendering exercise would deliver an
alternative provider. Undertaking a procurement exercise at this
stage would be unlikely to deliver material additional value and
would result in unnecessary delay and officer resource expenditure.
In addition, the current provider has developed an in-depth
understanding of the Council’s planning processes, local
policy context and appropriate issues across the district. Changing
provider would result in a loss of continuity and require a period
of familiarisation, creating risks to service resilience during an
ongoing and time-sensitive caseload. Given that the proposed
extension is intended to maintain continuity while service
arrangements continue to be kept under review, re-procurement is
not considered a proportionate or efficient option.