The Dovercourt Leading Lights and Causeway are Tendring District Council owned assets listed on the Historic England Heritage at Risk Register as Scheduled Ancient Monuments (entry number 1017200). A visit by Historic England in November 2022 highlighted the need for an updated condition and structural survey to outline key works and costs associated with the restoration of these key assets of historical relevance.
For ‘Phase 1A_Condition and Structural Survey of the Dovercourt Leading Lighthouse and Causeway’ an exemption to procurement and permission to award the contract to the Morton Partnership was approved, this was due to only one tender submission document being received following the full tender process – Decision posted on 30th March 2024.
These works have now been completed with the final report received. Upon full assessment, it became apparent that due to shifting and rising shorelines over time, the legs of the structures could be up to 3 metres buried in the sand. Therefore, surveyors were unable to assess this aspect of the structures. Additional exploratory works and assessment are required to further de-risk this project and ascertain the condition of the legs that are unsighted, creating a ‘Phase 1B_Condition and Structural Survey of the Unsighted Legs’.
For Phase 1A, Officers were awarded an exemption to procurement, this exemption was awarded following a full procurement exercise which resulted in one application. This was due to the very specific CARE Accreditation required for any contractors that would work on these structures, a requirement indicated by Historic England. Officers sought to continue with this exemption to procurement into the Phase 1B works, which would result in the continuation of the services of ‘The Morton Partnership’. The decision to accept funding awarded by Historic England to the amount of £47,440 to continue the structural and condition work on the Dovercourt Leading Lighthouses and Causeway (identified as Phase 1B), and to proceed with the exemption to procurement was published on the 3rd July 2024.
This was published in concurrence with Councillor Mark Stephenson (Leader and Portfolio Holder for Finance and Governance), Councillor Ivan Henderson (Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Regeneration and Tourism), and Councillor Peter Kotz (Portfolio Holder for Assets).
A decision to award, to appoint and to enter into an agreement with 'The Morton Partnership' for Phase 1B - Condition and Structural Survey of the Unsighted Legs is required to enable to project to commence.

To award, to appoint, and to enter into a contract with ‘The Morton Partnership’ following a full procurement exercise resulting in one application and a subsequent exemption to procurement rules previously published on 3rd July 2024.

Option 1 - To award, to appoint and to enter Into and a contract with 'The Morton Partnership' to deliver Phase 1B of the Dovercourt Leading Lighthouse and Causeway Structural and Condition Survey of the Unsighted Legs.
Option 2 - To not award the contract to 'The Morton Partnership' however the implications of this would be the potential further decline of Tendring District Council Heritage at Risk assets and a delay to the timeframe with the potential inability to meet the funding constraints as outlined by the external funder.