Purpose

A decision is required to award the contract
directly to BPP Consulting LLP through an Exception, as an
alternative route to normal tendering procedure is required. A
direct award without competition is permissible through an
Exception, as an alternative tendering route to the normal
tendering procedures.

The County Council is in the process of updating its statutory
Minerals and Waste Local Plan (MWLP). The authority has recently
published a ‘preferred approach’ consultation document
under regulation 18 of the Town and Country Planning (Local
Planning) (England) Regulations 2012 (as amended). To inform the
next stage of the plan, which will be the publication of a
‘proposed submission’ draft (regulation 19), the
authority requires an updated Waste Needs Assessment (WNA) to be
undertaken in order to ensure that the minerals and waste local
plan is based upon an up to date evidence base prior to submission
to the Secretary of State for public examination.

The Waste Needs Assessment is a critical part of the evidence base
that underpins the MWLP. It assesses current and future waste
management needs and capacity requirements in Lincolnshire, and
ensures that the MWLP provides an appropriate and sound policy
framework to meet Lincolnshire’s identified waste management
needs.

A WNA was produced in 2021 to support earlier stages of the MWLP
update. An updated WNA is now required to provide an up to date
picture of current and future waste management needs and capacity
requirements in Lincolnshire (to determine if there are any changes
required to the approach proposed in the emerging plan, prior to
submission and examination).
The previous WNA 2021 was awarded to and produced by BPP Consulting
LLP. Awarding the contract for updating the WNA directly to BPP
Consulting LLP would ensure that the updated WNA would utilise the
same approach and methodology developed for the previous WNA 2021
that has informed the emerging plan to date. This would ensure
consistency and transparency in this very complex part of the MWLP
evidence base, and ensure the authority is in the best position to
withstand scrutiny during the examination process.

Having produced the previous WNA, BPP Consulting are already
familiar with the data and context for Lincolnshire, and have a
detailed knowledge of the methodology employed, which was refined
with considerable input from LCC Officers. This should enable
efficiencies when updating previous work.
The update to the MWLP is also being progressed to a very tight
timetable, with an updated WNA required as soon as possible to
inform the next (‘proposed submission’) stage of the
MWLP. Going through the full tendering process would therefore
delay this key component of the evidence base and risk delaying the
updating of the MWLP.

Having regard to the need for the delivery of an updated WNA as
soon as possible, the benefits of a consistent evidence base, and
the fact that BPP Consulting produced the previous WNA and
therefore have a detailed knowledge of the Lincolnshire context and
methodology employed, approval is therefore sought for a direct
contract award to BPP Consulting LLP.
Project Duration and Value

The production of an updated WNA is estimated to take approximately
six months. Whilst exact timescales will be dependent on
commencement dates and any unforeseen issues that may arise, it is
anticipated that the project will be completed by Summer
2025.
Total project cost is £24,750.00 plus VAT

Decision

A decision is required to award a contract for
the provision of Consultancy services for production of an updated
Waste Needs Assessment to support the Lincolnshire Minerals and
Waste Local Plan.

This report seeks approval for the contract to be awarded to BPP
Consulting LLP through an Exception under the Council’s
Contract and Procurement Procedure Rules.