Harlow Rest Area Refurb

Report reference number:: 134 – 23
Classification:: Official
Title of report:: Contract Award – Harlow Rest Area Refurbishment
Area of county / stakeholders affected:: District of Harlow – Officers and staff
Report by:: Patrick Duffy – Head of Estates
Date of report:: 15.09.23
Enquiries to:: [email protected]

1. Executive Summary

Decision report PFCC/010/23 approved the allocation of £400,000 of capital investment into upgrading the staff and officer rest area at Harlow Police Station. This decision report is seeking approval to award the contract to undertake delivery of the project.

2. Recommendations

The first recommendation to the PFCC is to increase the capital budget from £400,000 to £402,984, an increase of £2,984. This will enable the contract to be awarded at a value of £402,984.
The second recommendation is for the PFCC to award the contract at a cost of £402,984 and enter into a JCT intermediate Building with contractors design 2016 Edition (appended to this report) with the main contractor to undertake the project, by authorising the application of their electronic signature to the contract.

3. Background to the Proposal

Following approval of capital funding, this decision report seeks approval to award the contract for the refurbishment of the Harlow Police Station rest area, locker rooms and the creation of changing and shower facilities near to the main locker room.
The main locker facilities at the station are located in the disused kitchen area and have no changing or shower facilities. This proposal will create changing and shower facilities that ensure appropriate levels of privacy and welfare for officers and staff.
The current locker room layouts do not conform to space planning regulations and cannot be expanded to account for force growth. The refurbishment of the three areas will provide for all new and additional lockers to account for force growth and a more appropriate environment for officers to use, whilst conforming to space planning requirements.
The station rest area is in poor condition and requires a complete refurbishment to bring it up to a more appealing and acceptable standard for officers and staff to use.
An assessment of available construction frameworks was considered by both Estate Services and Commercial Services, with the preferred framework being the Essex County Council Construction Framework 2 (ECF2).
The tender was published on 19/07/2023 with a planned tender return date of 23/08/2023. We only received one compliant tender return that has been assessed against the commercial, technical and social value criteria. The results of the evaluation of the bid are shown below:

This table is available as an accessible document on request

*Technical score broken down as follows:
Construction methodology / logistics – 17.5%, project programme – 10%, key project
challenges and risks – 5%, sustainability – 7.5%.

4. Proposal and Associated Benefits

The proposal is to refurbish the Harlow Police Station rest area and locker rooms and create changing and shower facilities near to the main locker room.
The benefits of this project include providing shower and changing facilities where there are none currently, as well as improved rest area facilities and fit for purpose locker rooms that comply with space planning regulations. Operational benefits include improved officer and staff wellbeing due to upgraded locker and change facilities as well as a refurbished, fit for purpose rest area.
If this project is not undertaken, office space may be required to accommodate additional lockers required due to force growth. Health and safety issues may also arise due to non-compliance with space planning regulations.

The risk of a delayed start date should not be a reason not to proceed with the project. Developing a robust design prior to tender will mitigate the risk of having an undefined brief prior to works starting on site.
The preferred option is therefore to refurbish the following areas of Harlow Police Station:
Rest area on the ground floor
Locker room in the basement
Locker room on the ground floor
Locker room on the 1st floor
Creation of changing and shower facilities near to the main locker room on the ground floor.

5. Options Analysis

Do nothing – Doing nothing is not an option. The existing locker room and rest area accommodation is substandard and does not comply with any space or building regulations and the force is currently at risk in the event of an incident.
Proceed with the main area – Undertaking the project to the main rest area and leaving the smaller locker areas leaves the force at risk. The existing smaller locker rooms are substandard and do not comply with any space or building regulations and the force is currently at risk in the event of an incident. They have been created in an ad hoc manner and require addressing.
Proceed with the full project – Preferred option. Undertaking the project will ensure compliance with space and building regulations including the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.

6. Consultation and Engagement

Consultation has been undertaken with the local command team at Harlow Police Station and, once funding is approved and detailed design is underway, staff associations, Health and Safety and the relevant support networks will be consulted with.

7. Strategic Links

One of the policing priorities in the Police and Crime Plan 2021-2024 is to ‘Support our officers and staff’. Providing fit for purpose accommodation and improved rest areas within our estate will support this priority.
By upgrading and making better use of the space available we are minimising the space required to accommodate growth, complying with regulatory requirements and improving officer / staff changing and rest facilities.
Furthermore, this application reflects the ambition within the PFCC’s ‘Essex Police Estates Strategy’ to transform the estate, which commits to:

➢ Using the proceeds from the disposal programme, investing to improve our existing portfolio of police buildings. We will start with those buildings with the greatest need and which will deliver the best value and benefit for both the public and our police officers, staff and volunteers.
➢ This will deliver projects based on the sound priorities we have outlined above. It will include business as usual i.e. capitalised maintenance projects for urgent building repairs and replacements, including general health and safety works.
➢ To start addressing our backlog maintenance, we will allocate a sum each year for capitalised maintenance to undertake major repairs and replacements at retained sites in accordance with the priorities highlighted within our condition surveys.

8. Police operational implications

There will be limited operational implications associated with this decision report. The construction work will be phased to ensure operational policing can continue during construction. Alternative arrangements will be put in place for locker provision while the work is undertaken.

9. Financial implications

The proposed scheme has been allocated £400,000 of available in-year funding. Following the procurement exercise the most economically advantageous tender was returned at £402,984. Although this is an increase of £2,984 this is within the tolerance within the financial regulations.
There are £6,500 of one-off and £400 per annum recurring revenue cost. Totalling £1,500 over the five year MTFS of recurring revenue consequences which will be funded from the capital programme, revenue consequences.

10. Legal Implications

Following approval of the decision report, the PFCC will be required to enter into a JCT design and build contract with the main contractor appointed to undertake the refurbishment and re-modelling project. An unsigned copy of the contract is appended to this report.

11. Staffing implications

Strategic Change Estate Transformation will support the movement of staff around the building to ensure operational policing is not impacted.
Delivery of the project will be managed by the Estate department in conjunction with our third-party delivery partner

12. Equality and Diversity implications

Undertaking the entire scheme will offer additional support to individuals due to the work to lower counter tops, provide accessible toilet facilities and improve ramp access to the building.

13. Risks and Mitigations

Risks associated with not approving the decision report:
➢ Officer / staff wellbeing may be impacted due to inadequate locker and changing facilities.
➢ Officer / staff wellbeing may be impacted due to poor and run-down rest facilities.
➢ Due to force growth, current office space may be required to provide additional lockers.
➢ Health and safety issues may arise due to non-compliance with space planning regulations.
Risks associated with undertaking the project:
➢ Business risk – Delay to start date due to governance and / or vetting.
➢ Service risks – Defining the brief before works commence on site. The proposed specification was developed before tendering.
➢ External risks – The construction industry market is currently volatile, with a risk of inflation and / or market prices changing from time of tender to contract award.
All of the above risks are dealt with on a daily basis by the Estates team. The procurement and contract award have been factored into the forward plan for the necessary meetings, and the appointment of a dedicated estates vetting SPOC has been completed.
Engagement with the end users, support networks and staff associations will be undertaken at detailed design stage with the final solution and plans being locked with no client changes. In relation to the market conditions, there is a strategic estate risk around construction inflation with ongoing monitoring.

14. Governance Boards

Original Project and Funding Approval
➢ Estates Change Board – 13th January 2023
➢ COG – 8th February 2023
➢ PFCC Strategic Estates Board – 10th February 2023
➢ PFCC Strategic Board – 1st March 2023
Contract Award
➢ Estates Change Board – 22nd August 2023
➢ PFCC Strategic Estates Board – 23rd August 2023
➢ PFCC Strategic Board – 26th September 2023

15.Links to Future Plans

This proposal is linked to the long-term future of Harlow Police Station being retained as a key operational base / location.

16.Background Papers and Appendices

Appendix A
JCT intermediate Building Contract – OFFICIAL SENSITIVE (not for publishing)
Appendix B
Reg 84 Report – OFFICIAL SENSITIVE (not for publishing)