Award of contract to ODS for the value of £275,000 to undertake external repairs and redecorations to 13 – 14 and 14A Broad Street, Oxford

To make a direct contract award to ODS for the value of £275,000 to undertake repair works to 13 – 14 and 14A Broad Street.  The requirement for the works to these Listed Buildings, which are let on internal repairing leases, was identified by Corporate Property.  The contract has been awarded in accordance with Part 19.11 of the Constitution: Commissioning Oxford Direct Services Limited for one off capital schemes.

Award of a contract to ODS to undertake repair work at 45 Queen Street for the value of £65,000

To make a direct contract award to ODS for the value of £65,000 in order to undertake repair works at 45 Queen Street. This is in accordance with Part 19.11 of the Constitution: Commissioning Oxford Direct Services Limited for one off capital schemes.

These bungalows have been suffering from structural movement for many years.  It appears that parts of No. 71 have been underpinned in the past.  Raking shores were provided to the gable wall of No. 73 more than 15 years ago.

The cause of the damage is primarily due to leakage from the drainage system

Although there are trees nearby these predate the age of bungalows and are not considered to be implicated in the damage evident. 

Tree removal would likely cause further damage.  

The properties have cracked and tilted.  The gable wall of No. 73 was deemed to be structurally unstable, hence the provision of the raking shores 15+ years ago.

Both properties are currently occupied.

The works to No. 71 can be undertaken while the tenant remains in residence.  The work to No. 73 will require the tenant to be temporarily decanted.

Undertaking the repairs and structural restraint will improve living conditions for the tenants.  Removal of the raking shores will obviate the fear of structural failure.

Award of contract to Oxford Direct Services  to undertake work at 71 and 73 Leiden Road, Wood Farm.   The cost of the necessary works is estimated to be c.£12k for No. 71 and £63k for No. 73.a total of c.£75k (plus a contingency).

These 2 blocks of flats have been suffering from structural movement for many years.  In recent years the drains have been repaired, trees removed and the ground beneath the foundations injected by Geobear.

The external walling of both blocks has cracked and requires repair.  The internal damage appears to be limited to Flats 3 and 7.

Both No. 3 and No. 7 are currently occupied.

The works within the flats will be disruptive and the tenants will need to be temporarily rehoused.

Award of contract to ODS to undertake work at odd numbered properties 1 – 23 Pickett Avenue, Wood Farm, for the value of circa £70k (plus a contingency).

This roughly sub-divides as follows:

·         Crack repairs to external brickwork:  £25,000

·         Internal crack repairs and redecorations to flat No. 3:  £24,000

·         Internal crack repairs and redecorations to flat No. 7:  £21,000

In the past, 5/6 have been let as a single unit. The emphasis now is for smaller units.  Sub division will mean two smaller units will be provided, as originally.

Award of contract to ODS to undertake repair work and sub division, to provide 2 separate units, at  5 – 6 Covered Market, for the value of circa £18k in accordance with Part 19.11 of the Constitution.

The cost of the necessary works will be in the region of £18k. A preliminary quotation has been provided by Oxford Direct Services. This needs to be finalised once the Planning Conditions are discharged.

Project LEO is a multi-partner innovation project, and Oxford City Council is a partner. The project is developing an energy flexibility trading market.

To enter into contracts with project partners to enable the Council’s involvement in Trial Period 1 of Project Leo.

No income or expenditure is anticipated (if this becomes the case the City Council will withdraw from the associated trial activities).

Project LEO is a multi-partner innovation project funded through Innovate UK, which Oxford City Council is a partner in.  Preliminary work by the project has developed an energy flexibility trading system/platform, with an objective for this to be functional and open to non-partner organisations in March 2023.  Testing and further development of the system/platform to enable this is broken down in to three Trial Periods.  Trial period 1 (November 2021 – February 2022) will conduct alpha testing (concept trialling) of the system between project partner organisations.  There is the possibility of some beta testing of the system towards the end of the trial period with non-project organisations.

This Decision relates to contracts for Oxford City Council’s involvement in Trial Period 1, to support alpha testing only.  To facilitate this, the Council will need to enter in to sub-contracts with other project partners about energy capacity trading activities, and to sign up to the trading platform terms and conditions.  No income or expenditure is anticipated as a result of alpha testing trading activity. 

Continuation of existing services to support people who are rough sleeping, or recovering from rough sleeping, including the provision of “everyone in” accommodation.

To award a contract to St Mungo’s Community Housing for £1,062,044 to provide a Housing First support service to the end of 2023/24. (Following procurement the bid came in lower than the available budget cited in the Cabinet report).