Purpose

To ensure the ongoing provision of Contract
and Procurement Legal support within the Project Delivery Unit,
supporting the delivery of the Local Regeneration Fund (LRF,
formerly LUF), Capital Regeneration Projects (CRP1) and Community
Regeneration Partnership (CRP2) programmes.
The July 2024 Cabinet report set out the proposals and funding for
the Project Delivery Unit. The Unit will provide the capacity for
the organisation to delivery major projects and capital schemes,
including those funded by Government. Cabinet allocated funding to
appoint staff to the Project Delivery Unit on a fixed term basis
for up to two years.
Fixed term posts that require very significant skills and
experience can be challenging to recruit to. As a result it was
decided to seek a Contract Lawyer on a consultancy basis, using the
same size budget allocated to the recruitment of the post.
The Contract Lawyer was originally appointed via the Essex
Temporary Worker framework in February 2025, with an extension in
May 2025, by TDC Legal

Content

To extend the appointment of the Contract
Lawyer (locum) via the Essex Temporary Worker Framework in order to
complete the tasks as set out in the proposal for the work for a
period of 6 months, through to 26 March 2026.

The cost associated with the above to be £65,800, to be
funded from the Project Delivery Unit budget.

Alternative options considered

Not to extend appointment and to recruit to
refill post - Recruitment exercises for other posts attached to the
PDU in recent months demonstrate the challenges in recruiting to
specialist posts of this nature. These recruitment exercises also
take substantial time, without the guarantee of success. The
projects managed by the post are at a critical stage and thus
active Contract Law input is critical to ensure success, and
continuity from the postholder offers substantial benefit to the
Council.
Direct Employment: While ideal, recruiting high-quality
professionals for fixed-term positions in Tendring is challenging
due to the existing salary structure.
Not to extend appointment and not to refill post – This is an
essential post for the delivery of the projects.