On Thursday 8th March 2012, representatives came together from North Somerset Council (the Council), Scape and Kier to sign a partnership charter. This cemented the strong working relationships that have already been forged between the local authority, procurement body and private sector construction firm.
At an event hosted in Clevedon, at the Council’s Castlewood Offices, the three organisations celebrated their commitment to this voluntary code of practice which outlined the collective vision to share in the regeneration of the district. It also set out the steps required to support the local economy and its supply chain by recruiting and training people from the area for specific construction projects.
Delivering high quality schemes on time and in budget with minimal bureaucracy was a fundamental message within the charter. The document also emphasised the need for a considerate approach to the environment and openness in communications within delivery teams, local neighbourhoods and the wider public. An emphasis was also placed on ensuring and upholding health and safety requirements, as well as other recognised codes of practice.
The Council has been working with Scape for the past three years as part of its drive to secure better value for money and speed up the process in buying in suppliers to deliver its construction schemes. As a local authority controlled company, Scape specialises in securing cost and time savings for public sector building projects. The firm makes it quicker, easier, and less stressful for organisations like the Council to procure the necessary services due to the economies of scale achieved.
Suppliers to the various Scape frameworks are appointed following a competitive tender process. As part of this approach, companies must demonstrate their commitment to the local economy and supply chain by showing how people living in the area and smaller business working within the construction sector will benefit.
Peter Bignell, Business Development Manager at Scape, commented: “Kier is the sole managing contractor appointed to deliver our minor works framework, and will be delivering projects worth between £25,000 and £2m across the district. We’re delighted to be signing this charter today to showcase our collective commitment to improving the quality of the built environment for people living and working in the North Somerset area.”
Richard Davis, Divisional Director at Kier Construction commented: “Signing the Partnering Charter is a significant step for Kier as it reinforces our commitment to work with North Somerset Council, and the communities it serves, in all the work we undertake as part of the Scape Minor Works Framework. The values enshrined in the charter are already central to the way Kier carries out its business and we are looking forward to working with the Council to build a really strong and rewarding relationship throughout the course of the Scape framework.”
Lyndon Watkins, Head of Property and Asset Management at North Somerset Council, commented: "The Council has been using Scape National Frameworks since 2009 and is central to the delivery of its capital programme. The benefits of working in a genuinely collaborative environment, following simple and straightforward processes, mean the Council can build on this success, now also working with Kier in the delivery of its projects. The use of frameworks has enabled the Council to move to an enabling model of delivering property services which, in the current economic environment, has ensured that the Council can maintain a sustainable service to the public."
To find out more about Scape, visit www.scapebuild.co.uk