On 20 December 2024, Cabinet accepted the Community Regeneration Partnership funding and commenced delivery. Prior to this, the programme was accepted into the Policy Framework by Full Council on 8 June 2024 and the principle of entering the Partnership approved by Cabinet on 26 July 2024. Subsequently, the funding has been received and a Memorandum of Understanding entered with MHCLG which includes TDC as the Accountable Body.
Pre-Market Engagement was conducted through a notice published on Find a Tender in February 2026, with 29 responses received from interested contractors, including 14 from Essex, and others from the wider south-east region and London.
Following on, this was one of four bids received following a competitive tender period utilising a Dynamic Purchasing System. The bids have been evaluated by a panel of officers and appointed specialist consultants, and consensus reached on a preferred bidder. The financial submission for the PCSA Contract is within the available funding. The primary Construction contract, with associated costs, will be entered into later this summer, pending approval. The quality submission received positive scoring with competent responses satisfying all requirements.
This decision enables the project to progress to the next level of technical design prior to entering the final Construction contract.
This will ensure the project progresses, per the Council’s commitment to date and as set out in the Project Initiation Document.