Decision details

Decision made and reasons:

Decision:

To extend the Council’s contract for Traffic Regulation Order Consultancy with ADL Traffic & Highways Engineering Ltd for a period of three-years (until September 2028) in accordance with the contract awarded in September 2021.

Reason:

Traffic Regulations Orders are legal documents that restrict or prohibit the use of the highway network, in line with The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 – while Dacorum Borough Council is not the highway authority, we do undertake parking enforcement (on-street and off-street) that requires the making of Traffic Regulation Orders.

The statutory process for making Traffic Regulation Orders involves several key steps, including feasibility assessments, proposed scheme design, public consultations, and formal advertising.

The Council does not have this expertise in-house hence the reason for this contract originally and why an extension is now being sought.

Background:

In September 2021 the Contract for Traffic Regulations Order Consultancy commenced. This contract is delivered by ADL Traffic & Highways Engineering Ltd (ADL).

The contract was for an initial period of four years, which ends in September 2025. There was provision within the tendered contract for this to be extended by a period of three years.

The initial value of the contract envisaged annual spend of £60,000 per year so an initial value of £240,000 and if extended for the full-term £420,000.

The current spend on the contract to date is £112,000 so well within the threshold from when tendered. Based on current spend, the value of the three years extension is likely to be between £100,000 and £120,000.

Officers working with ADL since September 2021 have found them to be responsive and knowledgeable in this area of work. There have been no issues with their performance or professional credentials

Commercial Board:

A report was presented to Commercial Board on 20 May 2025 and approval was provided on the same date to extend the contract with ADL Traffic and Highways Engineering Ltd.

To extend the Council’s contract for Traffic Regulation Order Consultancy with ADL Traffic & Highways Engineering Ltd for a period of three-years (until September 2028) in accordance with the contract awarded in September 2021.

In addition to the option to extend the contract, the Council also considered:

1. Seeking approval to go to market and let a new contract

2. Directly employing and officer or officers with the necessary experience to undertake the work done under the current contract in-house.

Option one was discounted on several points but the primary one being that there is not capacity to be tendering this contract at the same time as mobilising the new Parking Enforcement Contract.

Option two was discounted on the basis that the cost of employing an officer or officers would exceed the current spend being made with ADL. This would also likely require budget growth to cover aspects of their work such as 1:1s, appraisals, training, etc. that could not be charged to the Parking Reserve Account. Additionally, at present the Council is able to pull on a pool of staff within ADL and who have a breadth of experience – having the resource in-house would reduce this.