Blackburn with Darwen Council is looking to appoint a consultant to work as a 'Project Support Partner' on several of its key development schemes on a three-year contract worth £500,000.

The new appointment will provide advice and assistance on eight major projects.

The projects which the consultant would work with the council on are:

  • M65 Junction 5 Improvement Scheme
  • South East Blackburn Active Travel Scheme
  • Darwen Town Deal Programme
  • Darwen Market Hall Refurbishment
  • King George's Hall Refurbishment
  • North East Blackburn Strategic Housing Site
  • Blackburn Town Centre – Skills and Education Campus
  • St John’s Refurbishment Project

The authority's growth programme director Simon Jones has started the process of procuring the new consultant.

In a report to councillors, he says: "The council intends to appoint a Project Support Partner, with individual consultant resources appointed on a project-by-project basis to support council officers with the delivery of a variety of construction, infrastructure and development projects.

"A procurement strategy has been prepared to enable officers to proceed to issue tenders for the Project Support Partner.

"The Project Support Partner will provide support on a range of projects and will be directed and managed by the council project leads for each commission.

"Tenders are invited from suppliers registered on the Crown Commercial Services (“CCS”) Construction Professional Services (RM6165) Framework, Lot 2 Urban Regeneration.

"Tenders will be evaluated on 25 per cent price, 60 per cent quality and 15 per cent social value which will ensure sufficient focus is given to choosing a bidder of the right blend of experience and capability and to ensure the council receives the most economical advantageous price.

"The estimated value of the contract over the three-year duration will be up to £500,000.

"There are several key external grant-funded projects in progress each of which has its own programme of projects, timescales and milestones.

"The framework will provide external project resources to supplement and complement in-house expertise to ensure the right capability and capacity is deployed on the projects to meet the project requirements on a project-by-project basis."