Content

To appoint a suitably qualified
Employer’s Agent who will also undertake the Contract
Administrator role for the Stratford Gateway demolition project,
with an estimated value of £10,000–£15,000, in
accordance with the Council’s Contract Procedure
Rules.

Reasons for the decision

To progress the Stratford
Gateway demolition programme in a controlled and compliant way, the
Council requires the appointment of an Employer’s Agent who
will also act as the Contract Administrator.
 
This role is essential to
provide technical oversight across all pre?demolition and
demolition?related activities. It is also a legal requirement under
the JCT Minor Works contract form that a Contract Administrator is
formally appointed by the Client to administer the contract, issue
instructions, certify payments, and oversee compliance.
 
The Employer’s Agent
provides the specialist assurance needed to ensure that surveys,
statutory processes, technical designs, tender documentation,
contractor submissions and on?site activities are properly
validated and managed in accordance with legal, safety and
contractual requirements.
 
Without this appointment, the
Council would be unable to administer the demolition contract
lawfully or meet the technical and regulatory standards required to
deliver the programme.
 
The
Employer’s Agent will:

Oversee and validate
all pre?demolition surveys, including asbestos, ecology, utilities,
heritage, contaminated land, tree and arboriculture assessments
etc;
Provide technical
review and assurance of the demolition scope, methodology,
sequencing and the detailed demolition specification;
Support planning
processes, statutory notices and related regulatory requirements,
ensuring relevant permissions, conditions and dependencies are
addressed;
Coordinate and
technically oversee utilities disconnection activities, including
desktop searches, intrusive tracing and applications to utilities
providers;
Prepare, review and
finalise tender documentation, and lead the technical evaluation of
tender returns to ensure the Council receives a compliant and
value?for?money submission;
Provide assurance on
contractor submissions such as temporary works designs, method
statements, Construction Phase Plans, environmental plans, waste
and materials management strategies and traffic management
proposals;
Ensure all pre?start
compliance requirements are met ahead of site mobilisation,
including health and safety documentation, permits, licences and
regulatory checks;
Act as Contract
Administrator throughout mobilisation, demolition and completion,
administering the contract in accordance with JCT Minor Works
requirements and providing oversight of progress, quality,
compliance, risk and change control; and
Oversee delivery of
the interim post?demolition site condition, including the temporary
car park, fencing, security measures, land management and required
post?completion records.

 

Alternative options considered

·      
Proceed without an Employer’s
Agent:
Rejected. The Council does not have internal capacity or specialist
demolition technical expertise to undertake the required technical
checks, surveys management, specification drafting, tender
evaluation, and contract administration. The required JCT minor
works also requires a contract administrator as a Legal component.
Proceeding without an Employer’s Agent would significantly
increase risk and is not legally or operationally
viable.
 

Delay appointment
until Cabinet approval for demolition works:
Rejected. The pre?demolition programme (surveys, planning,
statutory notices, specification development and tendering)
requires immediate technical oversight. Delaying the appointment
would stall the programme and prevent the Council from reaching the
procurement and planning stages aligned with the
October–November 2026 demolition commencement
target.

 

Appoint
Employer’s Agent under delegated
authority:
Accepted. This is a low?value non?key decision and can be taken by
Officer Delegated Authority via this Notice of Officer Decision.
Appointment ensures compliance, maintains programme momentum, and
provides the technical assurance needed to advance the
project.  The outcome from this work
once authorised will inform the content of the Cabinet Report that
will follow in May or June next year in support of the Gateway
Demolition Programme.