Committee Report Checklist
Stage 1
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Yes / No |
Date |
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Councillor engagement / input from Chair prior to briefing |
N |
|
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Commissioner engagement (if report focused on issues of concern to Commissioners such as Finance, Assets etc) |
N |
|
|
Relevant Group Head review |
Y |
10/09/25 |
|
MAT+ review (to have been circulated at least 5 working days before Stage 2) |
Y |
11/09/25 |
|
This item is on the Forward Plan for the relevant committee |
Y |
|
|
Reviewed by |
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Finance comments |
LH |
11/09/25 |
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Risk comments |
LH |
11/09/25 |
|
Legal comments |
LH |
11/09/25 |
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HR comments (if applicable) |
N/A |
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For reports with material financial or legal implications the author should engage with the respective teams at the outset and receive input to their reports prior to asking for MO or s151 comments.
Do not forward to stage 2 unless all the above have been completed.
Stage 2
Report checklist – responsibility of report owner
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ITEM |
Completed by |
Date |
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Monitoring Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
L Heron |
11/09/25 |
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S151 Officer commentary – at least 5 working days before MAT |
O Owolabi |
12/09/25 |
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Confirm final report cleared by MAT |
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Title |
Review of Procurement Policy and Procedures |
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Purpose of the report |
To make a decision
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Report Author |
Linda Heron, Group Head Corporate Governance |
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Ward(s) Affected |
All Wards
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Exempt |
No |
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Exemption Reason |
N/A |
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Corporate Priority |
This item is not in the current list of Corporate Priorities but still requires a Committee decision.
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Recommendations
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Committee is asked to: 1. Consider the updates and amendments to the Council’s Procurement Policies and Procedures; and 2. Approve the updated Procurement Policies and Procedures.
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Reason for Recommendation |
The Council has a number of Procurement Policies and Procedures. Proposed changes recognise the new Procurement Act 2023 (implemented in February 2025) and changes in practice within the Council. Changes made to each procedure are detailed in this report.
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1. Executive summary of the report (expand detail in Key Issues section below)
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What is the situation |
Why we want to do something |
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• The Council’s Procurement Policies and Procedures are due for review. They also needed to be updated to reflect the introduction of the Procurement Act 2023, and changes to the Council’s Contract Standing Orders. |
• There is a requirement to review and update the Policies and Procedures regularly, and to reflect and any changes in legislation and practice. |
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This is what we want to do about it |
These are the next steps |
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• The Policies and Procedures have been amended and updated. Approval is sought for the new documents to be introduced and communicated to staff. |
• Following approval, the updated documents will be published on Spelnet and on to the Council’s website. |
2. Key issues
2.1 The Council maintains a suite of policies and procedures which set out the strategic intentions for corporate procurement, provide direction to Council officers undertaking procurement activities and deliver assurance to both internal and external stakeholders. Scheduled reviews of these policies and procedures have been overlooked due to staff changes in the Corporate Procurement Team.
2.2 Although these documents remain relevant and effective, they require updating to reflect evolving working practices and recent legislative changes, specifically the implementation of the Procurement Act 2023, which came into force in February 2025.
2.3 Some procedures are no longer required, as their purpose has expired (e.g. the ‘Using Spelthorne’s Framework Agreements’ procedure is no longer valid, as the frameworks (for Construction Contractors and Construction-related Consultancy) have now expired.
2.4 Updating policies demonstrates good governance, ensures compliance with legislation, and provides assurance to stakeholders.
2.5 Policy reviews safeguard the Council against exposure to risk while ensuring decisions are made on the basis of current legislation and accurate guidance.
2.6 A document detailing the changes that have been made to the policies and procedures is included at Appendix A.
3. Options appraisal and proposal
3.1 Option 1 (Recommended Option): That the Committee considers the proposed updates and amendments to the Procurement Policy and Procedures and formally approves the revised versions.
3.1.1 Adoption of the revised documents will ensure the Council maintains a complete and current suite of procedures, consistent with prevailing legislation and established practice. The documents also retain familiarity for officers, thereby supporting continuity and ease of application.
3.1.2 If approved, the revised Procurement Policy and Procedures will be published on Spelnet to enable officers to readily reference best practice and established processes, while also providing assurance to internal and external stakeholders that the Council’s procurement arrangements are lawful, transparent, and effective.
3.1.3 Failure to adopt the revised procedures may expose the Council to legal and operational risk, as procurement activities would otherwise be conducted under outdated legislative frameworks.
3.2 Option 2 (not recommended) The Committee could decide, after reviewing the documents, to make more amendments to the policies and procedures. This option is not recommended for the following reasons:
3.2.1 the updated processes sufficiently reduce the risk of non-compliance in the Council’s procurement activities;
3.2.2 the policies being amended are existing documents (not brand new); and
3.2.3 most of the proposed changes are relatively minor or moderate in nature.
3.3 Option 3 (not recommended) The Committee could decide not to accept the proposed amendments and continue with the current policies and procedures. This option is not recommended for the following reasons:
3.3.1 the current policies and procedures do not reflect changes in the legislation;
3.3.2 internal audit of Procurement highlighted that the review of the current policies and procedures was overdue, and consequently a review is one of the actions recorded in the audit report.
4. Risk implications
4.1 The proposed recommendation aims to reduce the risk of non-compliance in procurement activity.
4.2 Absence of up to date and clear rules increases the risk of poor decision making and a lack of accountability.
5. Financial implications
5.1 There are no financial implications immediately arising from this report. However, the policies and procedures recognise new spend thresholds in both Contract Standing orders and the Procurement Act 2023.
6. Legal comments
6.1 The Council has a statutory obligation to make standing orders in relation to the contracts made by or on behalf of the Council (s.135 of the Local Government Act 1972). A clear set of procurement procedures is ancillary to this obligation.
6.2 The proposed amendments to the current policies and procedures align with the provisions of the Procurement Act 2023.
Corporate implications
7. S151 Officer comments
7.1 There are no direct financial implications arising from this report. The updated Procurement Policies and Procedures incorporate revised spend thresholds as outlined in the Procurement Act 2023 and the Council’s updated Contract Standing Orders. These changes support improved governance and compliance but do not require additional budgetary provision. All associated activities will be delivered within existing financial resources.
8. Monitoring Officer comments
8.1 The Monitoring Officer confirms that the relevant legal implications have been taken into account.
9. Procurement comments
Procurement implications are explained in the body of this report.
10. Equality and Diversity
10.1 The proposed changes to the policies and procedures include stronger social value, including within the scope of the Procurement Act 2023.
11. Sustainability/Climate Change Implications
11.1 The policies and procedures do not directly impact on sustainability or climate change, but the have been strengthened to include a greater emphasis on sustainability in line with the Procurement Act 2023.
12. Other considerations
12.1 None.
13. Timetable for implementation
13.1 The policies have all been updated as of August 2025, and can be published as soon as approved. The review date for these is August 2028.
14. Contact
14.1 Linda Heron, Group Head Corporate Governance
Please submit any material questions to the Committee Chair and Officer Contact by two days in advance of the meeting.
Background papers: There are none.
Appendices:
Appendix A Procurement Policies and Procedures amendments Tracker
Appendix B Policies and Procedures (combined document)