To ensure the ongoing provision of Contract and Procurement Legal support within the Project Delivery Unit, supporting the delivery of the Local Regeneration Fund (LRF, formerly LUF), Capital Regeneration Projects (CRP1) and Community Regeneration Partnership (CRP2) programmes.
The July 2024 Cabinet report set out the proposals and funding for the Project Delivery Unit. The Unit will provide the capacity for the organisation to delivery major projects and capital schemes, including those funded by Government. Cabinet allocated funding to appoint staff to the Project Delivery Unit on a fixed term basis for up to two years.
Fixed term posts that require very significant skills and experience can be challenging to recruit to. As a result it was decided to seek a Contract Lawyer on a consultancy basis, using the same size budget allocated to the recruitment of the post.
The Contract Lawyer was originally appointed via the Essex Temporary Worker framework in February 2025, with an extension in May 2025, by TDC Legal & Governance team, providing maternity cover, with an agreed share of resource with the PDU. An extension to the appointment was agreed through to March 2026, to sit 100% within the PDU, with the support of the Corporate Director for Legal & Governance.
Due to the developed nature of the programme and the procurement completed to date, the extension to the appointment will be at a reduction to 30 working hours per week. The costs quoted in this decision reflect this.