As set out cabinet confirmed the allocation of pothole and challenge fund to highway maintance and confirmed this maintenance would be delivered through the Public Realm contract. This decision sets out what intended works are. If any changes occurred this will be managed through the contract change control mechanism.

The programme of works have been derived from the asset management data and therefore justify investment based on their risk profile.
The public realm services contract with Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP), was put in place through a competitively tendered process and the council will ensure its duty to secure best value is met through scrutiny of the cost and quality of the works commissioned with these funds. All works needed are in the scope of the public realm services contract as part of its core services.
Given the imperative for timely action to complete the entire programme of works in 2020/21 and to spend of external grant it was agreed at cabinet and council that these works be commissioned through the public realm services contract. This on the basis that the resources needed to investigate, design and implement the works required are more immediately available to the council, than if other procurement routes were taken.

Resources and management processes are in place to manage delivery through the public realm services contract. These are proven to ensure works are controlled by the established contract management systems and change control processes. If others were used, as is always the case when procuring works through a separate contract, the council would have to identify and assign resources to its management of new contract(s) and the project management of the works as separate, or supplemental, to the management processes and resources that are established for the management of the public realm services contract.