Decision details

Hardy House, Castletown, Portland. DT5 1AU

Decision Maker: Executive Lead for Place Directorate

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: Yes

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

To approve the appointment of A Hammonds & Sons Ltd. as the Main contractor for the refurbishment of Hardy House, Castletown, Portland. DT5 1AU

Reasons for the decision:

The project is to convert the former Youth Hostel Association building on Portland, Hardy House, into 5 residential units to be used by homeless families in the Weymouth and Portland area.

The building was purchased in 2020 as part of the governments ‘everyone in’ policy and has been used since then to house homeless individual persons. Until recently it was run by The Lantern Trust on behalf of Dorset Council. The existing residents will be moved to other residential hostels owned by Dorset Council.

The works are required to sub-divide the property into residential units including structural alterations and installation of services to make the units individually metered.

The project is part of the wider strategy of converting properties for homeless families to live in temporarily whilst more permanent arrangements are made. This will remove the families from inappropriate and costly bed and breakfast accommodation.

It is unlikely that there will be further development on the Hardy House site in the short term although there is room for an extension to the property at some point.

 

A Cabinet decision taken in June 2022 - (a) That the allocation of £3.13m in the 20/21 capital programme and a further £1.65m in the 21/22 capital programme for the purchase and refurbishment of accommodation to support homeless and rough sleeper households, be approved; (b) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director of Housing, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Safety and the Section 151 Officer, the ability to purchase 1-bedroom properties for use as temporary accommodation; (c) That authority be delegated to the Corporate Director for Property and Assets, in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing and Community Safety, the Section 151 Officer, and Corporate Director of Housing the ability to purchase properties for use as hostel accommodation.

 

Officers have undertaken a procurement process, using the council’s Repairs Maintenance Minor & Small Capital Works (RMMSCW) Framework, to appoint a main contractor for the Hardy House refurbishment.  This process, supported by external consultants Currie and Brown, recommends that the design and build contract be awarded to A Hammonds & Sons Ltd.

 

Alternative options considered and rejected:

 

Option 1 – To award the main refurbishment contract for Hardy House to an alternative contractor. 

In addition to A Hammonds & Sons Ltd. two other contractors submitted tender proposals via the council run procurement process for this contract, although one of these was discounted due to a qualification that meant that coverage for latent defects could not be assured.  The tender review process undertaken by officers and Currie and Brown recommended that the contract be awarded to A Hammonds & Sons Ltd. This procurement process was overseen by the council procurement team and considered to be a compliant process.  The option to award the contract to an alternative contractor has been rejected as this would risk legal challenge from A Hammonds & Sons Ltd. as the recommended contractor and not provide the council with best value. 

 

Option 2 – To not award the design and build contract for Hardy House to A Hammonds & Sons Ltd.

The A Hammonds & Sons Ltd. tender return was considered by officers and Currie and Brown to be the most economically advantageous tender return and provided the best value for money for the council.  The tender return was within the project budget.

 

Option 3 – To not proceed with the for Hardy House project.

This option would result in the council not taking forward a project that would utilise a DC asset to provide mush needed accommodation for homeless families in the area.

 

To house such families in private sector accommodation would be expensive and as such the cost of refurbishment will also be offset as a saving to future revenue spend.

 

Publication date: 28/10/2024

Date of decision: 28/10/2024