Legal Service Planning and Consents

Concepts

• legal services
• legal advice and representation
• legal planning
• other planning law advice
• legal advice
• other legal challenges
• other consents
• town planning applications
• specialist legal services
• internal legal team

Location

Option for remote working anywhere in England and Wales, with some in-person meetings at and around Palace of Westminster, other buildings on the Parliamentary Estate or buildings to be used by R&R

Description

Forming part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Palace of Westminster is one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. The Delivery Authority has been established for the purpose of restoring and renewing this Grade I listed building to preserve it for future generations. The Palace of Westminster Restoration and Renewal Programme (R&R Programme) is the biggest heritage restoration project ever undertaken in the UK. It offers suppliers, service providers and contractors a unique opportunity to contribute towards saving the seat of parliamentary democracy. The Delivery Authority was established in 2020 pursuant to the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019 (as amended by The Parliamentary Works Sponsor Body (Abolition) Regulations 2022) (the ‘Act’) to perform the functions set out in section 3(4) of the Act: (i) to formulate proposals relating to the Palace restoration works during phase one of the R&R Programme and, (ii) to carry out the works during phase two of the R&R Programme. The Corporate Officers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords (acting jointly) have overall responsibility for the Parliamentary building works under the Act and are the sole member and guarantor of the Delivery Authority. The Delivery Authority is seeking to appoint a provider of specialist legal services in the field of legal planning and consents (Services) to support the Delivery Authority in securing the necessary planning and other consents to deliver the R&R Programme. The scope of the Services is further detailed in the Selection Questionnaire Pack (SQP) and summarised in section III. The Corporate Officers of the House of Commons and the House of Lords are named users under the agreement.

Total Quantity or Scope

The Delivery Authority is seeking to appoint a provider of legal services in the field of planning law to support the R&R Programme. The Services will support the Delivery Authority in the performance of its functions and duties under the Act and will include but not limited to legal advice in relation to: • town planning applications, issues and procedures; • heritage issues including conservation areas, listed buildings (the case for public benefit for works to listed buildings and all relevant consenting matters relating to listed buildings), archaeology and world heritage site issues; • environmental impact assessment (EIA) including EIA strategy, screening and scoping for the R&R Programme; • highway procedures and consents (including procedures for stopping- up highways and traffic regulation orders); • marine consents for works in the River Thames; • section 106 agreements; • community infrastructure levy; • compulsory purchase and compensation; • consents for temporary works including any potential extended temporary use of land for works; • planning appeals and call-ins; • judicial review and other legal challenges; • development plan and third-party application representations; • neighbourhood planning; • strategic advice taking cognisance of the processes listed above; • access to information issues, including application of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental Information Regulations 2004, in liaison with internal legal team; and • other planning law advice as may be required by the Delivery Authority in support of the R&R Programme. The Corporate Officer of the House of Commons and Corporate Officer of the House of Lords are named users under the agreement, and services shall comprise the provision of legal advice and support to the Corporate Officers in the areas of planning law and consents required in connection with the Parliamentary Estate (and surrounding areas). The Services will include, but are not limited to, legal advice in relation to: • town planning issues and procedures; • heritage matters including conservation areas, listed buildings, archaeology and world heritage site issues; • environmental impact assessment including EIA strategy, screening and scoping; • section 106 agreements; • community infrastructure levy; • highway/traffic management procedures; • compulsory purchase and compensation; • consents required for works in the River Thames; • consents for temporary works; • judicial review and other legal challenges; • planning appeals and call-in; • public inquiries in relation to highway/traffic management procedures and orders; • development plan and third-party application representations; • neighbourhood planning; • strategic advice taking cognisance of the processes listed above; • the inter-relationship between the various regulatory/consenting regimes; • relevant legislation, policy and the overarching legal framework including case law, including as to the impact on overall strategy; • the planning and consents strategy for works on or near the Parliamentary Estate; and • other planning law advice as may be required. The Delivery Authority intends to invite 5 Candidates to tender for the Contract and to appoint a single Supplier. Further information on the evaluation methodology can be found in the SQP. Additional information: Please see VI.3 Additional Information and SQP.

Renewal Options

The term of the Contract will be for an initial term of 5 years (60 months) although the Delivery Authority reserves the right to extend the term of the Contract for up to a further 2 years (24 months) to make a maximum possible term of 7 years (84 months).

CPV Codes

• 79100000 - Legal services
• 79110000 - Legal advisory and representation services

Indicators

• This is a one-off contract (no recurrence)
• Options are available.
• Renewals are not available.
• Technical restrictions apply.

Legal Justification

Term of contract linked to the relevant amount of time for legal and planning consents required for the programme.

Other Information

The Delivery Authority intends to invite 5 Candidates to tender for the Contract and to appoint a single Supplier. Further information on the evaluation methodology can be found in the SQP. ** PREVIEW NOTICE, please check Find a Tender for full details. ** 1) To express interest in the Contract, Candidates must complete the SQ on the Jaggaer system at - https://rrparliament.app.jaggaer.com strictly in accordance with the SQP and by the SQ Response Deadline stated in the SQP. Please note that the SQ Response Deadline is a precise time and Candidates should allow sufficient time to upload their SQ Responses. 2) A Candidate may be a single organisation or a Consortium. Each Candidate must submit how this organizational structure will work in a single SQ application representing the Consortium. A single economic operator may only apply once, whether as a single Candidate or as a party to a Consortium. Candidates should note that this restriction does not apply to subcontractors. See further SQP Section [3]. 3) Words in this Contract Notice with initial capital letters are defined in the SQP (see Table [1.3] Glossary). 4) Candidates are required to download the Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) from the portal before they will be given access to the procurement documents. The NDA must be submitted as a correspondence and a declaration must also be submitted, stating that the NDA has not been modified. Access to the procurement documents will not be granted until the signed NDA has been received. For further assistance contact commercial@r-r.org.uk. Shortlisted Bidders’ personnel may be required to be security cleared to view tender documentation. 5) The Delivery Authority is the main user of this Contract but it may also be used by the Corporate Officer of the House of Lords and the Corporate Officer of the House of Commons. 6) Section II.2.6) (Estimated value): The estimated value includes the total of the scope as described in SQP Appendix A (Scope). 7) Section II.2.7) (Duration of the contract): The term of the Contract will be for an initial term of 5 years (60 months) although the Delivery Authority reserves the right to extend the term of the Contract for up to a further 2 years (24 months) to make a maximum possible term of 7 years (84 months). 8) Candidates and Tenderers shall be solely responsible for and liable for all costs associated with and arising out of or in connection with responding to this contract notice and any SQ and with submitting any tender, howsoever incurred. 9) Successful tenderers will need to be compliant with the R&R Programme’s standards and policies as identified in the SQP.