Purpose

Approval is sought to appoint, Mott McDonald
design consultant to secure planning permission and marine licences
for the Leigh Port redevelopment following Value Engineering Stage
and re-design. This includes updating environmental reports,
responding to statutory authority queries, and fulfilling Principal
Designer duties under CDM regulations.
 
The scope also includes technical input during
the contractor tender process and coordination with bodies such as
Natural England, MMO, EA, and Network Rail.
 

Content

The Cabinet Member
for Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy agrees to:
 
1.
       
Approve, by exception, the direct award of a new contract by way of
call off from the CCS Framework RM6165 Construction Professional
Services (Lot 6; Environmental) (to an existing Service Provider
– Principal Designer) for the pre-construction consultancy
services for the Leigh Port Regeneration Project to be commissioned
from January 2026 -September 2026 (including utilising the option
to extend the contract for 3 months if required).

 

2.         Delegate
authority to the Director for Infrastructure and Environment to
award contract(s) for the required surveys to support the
Consultancy Services awarded under recommendation 1.
 

Reasons for the decision

The Leigh Port Regeneration Project requires
approval to commence pre-construction activities to enable
construction in October 2026. The project is currently in the Value
Engineering stage, which is scheduled for completion by mid-January
2026.
 
The procurement of the new contract will be
carried out in full compliance with the Public Contract Regulations
2015 by the use of CCS Framework. A desktop evaluation will be
undertaken in accordance the framework’s objective criteria
to ensure that Southend secures the best possible value from the
existing provider.
 
This decision is necessary to maintain
programme alignment for planning submission and due diligence
assessment in February 2026. It ensures statutory compliance with
the Environment Act 2021, biodiversity net gain, and conservation
covenants, and enables early engagement with statutory bodies to
avoid delays. The decision also delivers key outcomes including
environmental compliance, planning readiness, programme assurance,
and stakeholder confidence.
 

Alternative options considered

Appoint a new Service Provider (Principal
Designer): This option was rejected to maintain continuity and
avoid abortive work. The current Service Provider (Principal
Designer) has produced the necessary environmental reports and
planning documentation, and this commission involves updating and
extending that work. Appointing a new provider would duplicate
effort, require re-review of existing material, and increase costs,
making it inefficient and impractical within the programme timeline
and available budget.