The Hackney Procurement Board approved the award of the contract for the Principal Consultant to Supplier A to deliver architectural and design services to Stoke Newington Town Hall (SNTH). The board also agreed the minutes of the previous meeting, while the item concerning the Legal Disrepair Contractor was deferred to a future meeting.

Stoke Newington Town Hall Architectural Design Services Contract Award

The Hackney Procurement Board approved the award of the contract for the Principal Consultant to Supplier A to deliver architectural and design services to Stoke Newington Town Hall (SNTH) for the price of £1,420,185.39 (exclusive of VAT). This decision follows the approval of a Low Risk Business Case Report in July 2026, which sanctioned a Direct Award route.

The SNTH complex, a Grade II listed building dating from the late Victorian and early twentieth centuries, has been in a state of significant decline, leading to its inclusion on the Historic England Heritage at Risk register. Issues include severe water ingress, failure of roofing systems, and inadequate heating, hot water, and electrical infrastructure. The chosen approach of a Direct Award via the Council's Asset Management Delivery (AMD) Framework was selected as the most efficient and fiscally prudent method to secure immediate architectural and design services.

Alternative options considered and rejected included a full open-market tender, which was deemed too time-consuming and costly due to the need for a new supplier to re-evaluate existing technical data. A mini-competition via the framework was also rejected due to the critical need for technical continuity and the risk of delays impacting time-sensitive decarbonisation grants for an Air Source Heat Pump (ASHP) plant room. The option to do nothing was rejected due to the continued deterioration of the building and ongoing holding costs.

The report highlighted that the contract aims to maximise efficiency and accountability through a single Lead Consultant, ensure technical consistency and heritage safeguarding, and achieve value for money by avoiding duplicated work. The total professional fee represents 11.06% of the net construction baseline, below the framework's maximum allowance. The design brief mandates the integration of whole-life costing to balance immediate capital costs with long-term operational expenditure.

Social value benefits are a key component of the contract, with the supplier committed to educational engagement, local skills development including apprenticeships, and local economic support. The project will also focus on environmental improvements, fabric protection, and decarbonisation, aligning with the Council's Net Zero 2030 targets. The design solutions will consider accessibility and inclusive design, adhering to the Equality Act 2010. The risk of modern slavery is assessed as low due to the nature of the professional services.

The contract will be managed by the Contract Administrator and the Corporate Capital Projects Delivery Team, with performance monitored through regular reporting, site inspections, and structured meetings. Key performance indicators include monthly project team meetings, programme adherence, budget adherence, risk assessment, quality of works, and Building Control assessments.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting

The minutes of the previous Hackney Procurement Board meeting, held on 11 August 2026, were agreed as an accurate record of the proceedings.

Legal Disrepair Contractor

This agenda item was postponed and is now scheduled to be considered at the next Hackney Procurement Board meeting on 13 October 2026.