Contact your Parish Council

Maidstone Borough Council

Regeneration and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Thursday 18 December 2008

Call-In: Award of Park and Ride Bus Service Contract

Report of: Overview and Scrutiny Officer

1.        Background

1.1.   Councillors M Robertson and Parr have called-in the following decision of the Cabinet Member for Environment with regard to the Award of the Park and Ride Bus Service Contract:

“That, following the approval by the Assistant Director of Development and Community Services, of:-

·         Health and safety documentation

·         Insurance policies

·         Financial checks for references

·         Environmental/sustainability forms

from Arriva being satisfactory, the tender submitted by Arriva (Variant Option 3 with the 506 relief) be accepted”.

1.2.   In order to assist Members in their consideration of this issue the following documents have been attached to this agenda:

1.3.   The Cabinet Member for Environment, Councillor Mark Wooding, the Assistant Director of Development and Community Services, Brian Morgan and the Public Transport Officer, Clive Cheeseman will be in attendance at the meeting for interview.

2.        Recommendation

2.1.   The reasons for calling-in the Cabinet Member for Environment’s decision are stated as:

“Failure to appreciate what makes a park and ride scheme successful.

Use of a faulty filtering system for tenders received, resulting in a failure by officers and the Cabinet Member to properly assess ‘quality of service’ when applied to a Park and Ride scheme and to give this adequate weight.”

2.2.   The Committee should consider the decision of the Cabinet Member for Environment against the above reason. 

2.3.   Having considered the call-in the Committee has three options for action:

(i)       Take no action – the decision will be implemented as taken by the Cabinet Member for Environment on 28 November 2008.

(ii)      Refer to the Cabinet Member for Environment – the comments of the Committee will be referred to the Cabinet Member for Environment for reconsideration of the decision within five working days, after which a final decision will be made.

(iii)    Refer to Council – the comments of the Committee and decision of the Cabinet Member for Environment will be referred to Council.  If Council does not object to the Cabinet Member for Environment’s decision it will be implemented.  If Council does object, it does not have power to make a decision unless the Cabinet Member for Environment’s decision is against the policy framework or contrary to or inconsistent with the budget.  Unless that is the case, Council will refer its comments back to the Cabinet Member for Environment for reconsideration of the decision within five working days, after which a final decision will be made.