T21/22-019 Planting, Installation, Removal and Irrigation of Hanging Baskets

Concepts

• lisburn
• horticultural services
• hanging baskets
• irrigation
• removal
• installation
• planting
• the planting, installation
• hanging
• baskets

Location

Lisburn

Description

Contract for the Planting, Installation, Removal and Irrigation of Hanging Baskets across Council sites.

Total Quantity or Scope

Contract for the Planting, Installation, Removal and Irrigation of Hanging Baskets across LCCC sites

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 77300000 - Horticultural services

Indicators

Legal Justification

The publishing of this VEAT relates to a variation to an existing contract (T21/22-019-Planting, Installation, Removal and Irrigation of Hanging Baskets). The contract variation will result in an increase of 50% of the contract value. The council is content that this variation is permitted under Regulation 72(1)(c) of the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (c) where all of the following conditions are fulfilled:— (i) the need for modification has been brought about by circumstances which a diligent contracting authority could not have foreseen; (ii) the modification does not alter the overall nature of the contract; (iii) (iii) any increase in price does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract or framework agreement The Council could not have foreseen the below events which have attributed to the need for a contract variation; • During the term of the contract energy costs have risen by approx. 218%. • Fertiliser cost has risen by approx. 47%. • Labour costs by 24.3%. • Substrate costs, due to the governmental drive to ban peat, have risen by approx.33%. • The cost of fuel is up 32% from 2021 (These figures and the above figures used are based on a report published by and reported by the National Farmers Union - Jan 2024. These figures are not being taken as fact but instead being used to give an indication of the current state of the industry). • There are other costs not mentioned, such as chemicals and standard material, which have increased and put more pressure on prices, especially those that have not risen from 2021. • The Royal appointment of Hillsborough as the first Royal town on the island of Ireland was welcomed by LCCC and extra resource was designated to the village to accommodate any improvements required however the King’s Coronation brought more unaccounted for pressures to improve the horticultural standards within the village which included the hanging baskets. Due to the Kings visit there was a requirement for the contract to be delivered to the highest standard as emphasis on horticultural standards was highlighted. • One unforeseen side effect from this was the pressure from throughout the Council area for these horticultural standards to be replicated throughout the Council area in line with Royal Hillsborough’s standards. • A consecutive year of unusually warm and dry weather which required additional waterings which further increased the spend.