Decision details

Decision details

Engineer for Future High Street project

Decision Maker: Head of Place, Property and Regeneration

Decision status: Recommendations Approved

Is Key decision?: No

Is subject to call in?: No

Decision:

We are seeking a structural engineer to complete the required design and check work for 37 Boutport Street to comply with the scope of the original Clarke Bond instruction and following Clarke Bond ceasing trading. It will include the following: C&S due diligence (DD) check, RIBA Stage 5 and 6 remaining works, Building Control pack if required, Check and re-badging of the CB construction drawings (to become Curtins drawings).

Reasons for the decision:

On the 20th December we received news (without warning) that Clarke Bond, the Structural and Civil engineer for the FHSF project had ceased trading with immediate effect. This leaves the Boutport Street project without structural engineer support. This is a complex project, which includes a detailed steel construction that requires engineer sign off. A contractor is working on the site and any delay caused by a lack of structural engineer would have client culpability and incur a fee – given the scale of this project the weekly prelim costs are significant. NDC reached out to Curtins as the structural engineer who had been leading the work on Boutport Street had recently left Clarke Bond and moved to Curtins. She has detailed knowledge of the project. Having just joined the firm she has capacity and could start work on the project immediately. Using Curtins is considered best value for the Council as they know the project in significant detail (any other engineer would take significant time to get up to speed) and can start immediately reducing any ongoing delay that an open procurement route would incur.

Publication date: 10/01/2025

Date of decision: 10/01/2025

Accompanying Documents: