Agenda and minutes

To receive any disclosures of interest from councillors in accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct for members.

The Leader, Councillor I.T.E. Harvey, advised that he had taken legal advice about his position in relation to the substantive item on the agenda and confirmed that he had no disclosable pecuniary interest nor any conflict of interest to declare.

There were no disclosures of interest from any other Councillor.

To move the exclusion of the Press/Public for the following item, in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Resolved to move the exclusion of the Press and Public for the following item in view of the likely disclosure of exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006.

Councillor Helen Harvey

To consider an exempt report on tenders for a development in Staines-upon-Thames.

Reason for Exemption

This report contains exempt information within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972, as amended by the Local Government (Access to Information) Act 1985 and by the Local Government (Access to information) (Variation) Order 2006:

Paragraph 3 – Information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) and in all the circumstances of the case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information because, disclosure to the public would prejudice the financial position of the authority in a competitive procurement process by allowing other bidders to know the financial position of the Council and other bidders.  This in turn prejudices the Council by (i) distorting the procurement process and (ii) prejudicing the opportunity for the Council to achieve a competitive price and good value for money and (iii) might dissuade organisations bidding for the Council's tenders if their commercial information was put into the public domain.

[Paragraph 3 – information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)]

Cabinet considered an exempt report on tenders submitted for a development in Staines-upon-Thames.

The report detailed the Council’s vision for the site, the brief provided to bidders to meet the Council’s objectives for the project, the procurement process and the evaluation exercise which had led to the recommendation.

Alternative options considered and rejected by Cabinet:

Not to proceed with the tender process.

Resolved to:

1)    award the tender and grant a long lease of the site in Staines-upon-Thames to Bidder B and

2)    authorise the Group Head of Corporate Governance to finalise the terms and enter into all legal documents required for the transaction.

Reason for decision

The recommendation is based on the outcome of a full (Competitive Dialogue) procurement process to identify a Preferred Bidder for the development of the site.

Bidder B submitted the most economically advantageous offer for the development