Issue - meetings

B Report of the Director of Housing Services

1.      It is agreed that the Director of Housing in Consultation with the Portfolio Holder, is to be given delegated authority to approve the appointment of the successful tender and agree the final terms of contract.

2.      It is agreed that the Borough Solicitor in Consultation with the Director of Housing and Portfolio Holder for Housing is to be given delegated authority to consider, amend if necessary and execute the local authority new build grant agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency.

Councillor Clarke addressed Cabinet and referred to a question posed at Full Council in relation to the companies identified by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) as having dishonestly over charged councils. He accused the Administration of not coming clean about their relationship with such companies and asked for a list of all companies that the Council had dealt with that had been found guilty of illegal price fixing.

Councillor Mildren addressed Cabinet.  He appreciated the burden placed on the Director and Portfolio Holder in relation to the selection of companies that had been found guilty of price rigging and asked that the Section 151 Officer and Monitoring Officer ensure that due diligence was undertaken to assure that the Council was dealing with bone fide contractors for the protection of the people of Northampton.

As Portfolio Holder for Housing, Councillor Beardsworth presented the report to Cabinet.  She was pleased to announce the proposal to build eight three- and four-bed properties with a high specification for energy saving efficiencies on the site of some disused garages in the Kings Heath area of the town.

The Section 151 Officer then explained in detail the process for invitation for tendering and assured the Cabinet that all contractors were independently vetted.  Contracts included exclusion statements for contractors to verify.  She confirmed that the Council could not legally exclude submissions form companies who were currently under investigation.

It was further explained that, where a company had been found guilty of malpractice, the appropriate employees and directors had normally been disciplined or dismissed and that a Limited Company could then continue to operate with the bulk of the workforce unchanged.  It was felt that companies should not be penalised for the actions of a small number of its employees.

Cabinet expressed their satisfaction that the appropriate safeguards were in place and Councillor Beardsworth expressed regret that the member of public who had raised the issue about companies under investigation by OFT had not been present to hear the reassurances.

RESOLVED

1.      That the Director of Housing in Consultation with the Portfolio Holder, be given delegated authority to approve the appointment of the successful tender and agree the final terms of contract.

2.      That the Borough Solicitor in Consultation with the Director of Housing and Portfolio Holder for Housing be given delegated authority to consider, amend if necessary and execute the local authority new build grant agreement with the Homes and Communities Agency.