Agenda item

The Sub-Committee received a report of the Strategic Director, Environment which sought approval of a one-year renewal of the existing Service Level Agreement between Halton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council (and its successor authorities) in respect of Historic Environment Services.

Members were advised that on 14^th September 2004, the Executive Board Sub Committee resolved that the Service Level Agreement (SLA) for the provision of Archaeological Service be entered into for a period of five years until March 2009. In 2004, the cost of this service was £5,995 per annum, subject to an adjustment for annual inflation.

On the 16^th May 2005, the Executive Board Sub Committee resolved that the SLA be extended to include the provision of Listed Building and Conservation Area advice, with a combined annual cost of £13,523, subject to an adjustment for annual inflation. This renamed Historic  Environment SLA, currently in place expired at the end of March 2009. Hence, it was recommended that this SLA be renewed.

Members were asked to recall the contents of the earlier reports of 14^th September 2004 and 16^th May 2005.  There were several reasons as to why the Historic Environment SLA was an advantageous arrangement for the Council and these reasons were outlined within the report.

Members were advised that the report recommended that the Historic Environment SLA be renewed for a period of one year only. This was due to two factors, both of which would mean that the SLA would probably be subject to change during 2010. The first factor was that the Heritage Protection Bill may be enacted in 2010 and this would require the SLA to be revised in the light of new responsibilities for Local Authorities. Colleagues at Cheshire County Council had indicated that these new responsibilities would not prohibit the continued provision of the Historic Environment SLA, but its scope and remit would necessary change.

It was noted that the second factor behind the recommendation that the SLA be renewed for a period of one year only was the Local Government Reorganisation in Cheshire. On 1^st April 2009, some of the functions of the existing Cheshire County Council would automatically move to one of the two new Unitary Authorities. It was currently anticipated that the Historic Environment SLA would be delivered in Halton from the Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority, with accompanying advice from the new Shared Archaeology Service. However, this currently could not be confirmed. Therefore, the preferred course of action would be to renew the SLA with Cheshire County Council for the period of April 2009 to March 2010. Once the new delivery authorities could be formally confirmed, the SLA could be renewed.

With the above in mind, a further report would be brought to the Executive Board Sub Committee in late 2009, with a recommendation for the SLA to be renewed in an updated form, in line with the two factors outlined within the report. It was anticipated that this paper would recommend that the SLA be renewed for a three or five year period commencing in April 2010.

Members were advised that as the cost of the Historic Environment SLA exceeded £10,000, it should be noted that the Council’s procedures for Standing Orders would have to be complied with. In this case, the Council’s Solicitor had agreed that the three written quotations for the order were not required.

RESOLVED: That

1)    the Service Level Agreement between Halton Borough Council and Cheshire County Council (and its successor authorities) for the provision of Historic Environment Services be renewed for a period of one year only from the 1^st April 2009, to 31^st March 2010 at a cost of £14,335.36 for the year; and

2)    Procurement Standing Order 4.2 be waived to allow Cheshire County Council or its successor authority to supply the services within the Historic Environment Service Legal Agreement without the need for competitive tender.