CENTRAL, DEVOLVED & LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE

CONTRACTS

• Traveline Cymru: We advised on the procurement of the systems and services required by our client to operate its pan Wales journey planning system.
• Arts Council of Wales: We advised on our client’s procurement of a national box office data analysis and audience insight service on behalf of performing arts venues throughout Wales.
• A local authority-owned company: Advising an energy services company, wholly owned by a local authority, in relation to its various heat supply agreements with all consumers, including electricity generation and supply via private wire networks, and steam supply.

DEVELOPMENT & REGENERATION

• Carmarthenshire County Council: Acting on all negotiations either as lead negotiator or as monitor on the development of a 60 acre site at Crosshands under a joint venture agreement with George LB Ltd. The purpose of the JV is to enable the parties to it to maximise the potential of their land by sharing the cost of installation of a road and infrastructure.

EMPLOYMENT

• A national public body: We advised a prominent public body on the changes to calculating holiday pay including ongoing defence of a claim for overtime to be included in the calculation.

GOVERNANCE

• A local authority: We advised an English local authority in relation to the investigation and disciplinary hearing stages for Chief Officers and statutory officers including undertaking the independent investigation and producing the investigation report.

PLANNING & ENVIRONMENT

• Powys County Council: We acted for the Council in its capacity as local planning authority in the Mid Wales (Powys) Conjoined Windfarm inquiry. This was the largest inquiry ever held into a wind energy proposal and the longest public inquiry held in Wales. It involved proposals for 5 wind farm proposals and an overhead line application each of which would be considered to be a nationally significant infrastructure project in their own right, had the applications been made after the Planning Act 2008 came into force. The public inquiry sat in Welshpool over a period of a year and we were heavily involved throughout, given the nature of the Council’s role as the local planning authority whose objections triggered the convening of the inquiry.
• Welsh Ministers: We are acting for the Welsh Minister on the judicial review taken by Friends of the Earth relating to the selection of a route for the M4 relief road and the application of the Strategic Environmental Assessment regulations. The road is seen as a key to delivering economic growth in South Wales and the decision to proceed is a matter of high local interest and political importance. The application for judicial review was successfully resisted following a three day “rolled-up” hearing.
  
  

PUBLIC SERVICE RECONFIGURATION

• Leeds Learning Disability and Community Support Services (A Cabinet Office project ): We are advising the proposed spin out organisation from Leeds City Council and “checking and challenging and refining” the existing business plan and 5 year financial forecast model for the delivery of adult social care services, including the suitable legal structure and governance model. We are also providing advice on tax, employment and pensions’ issues.
• A police and crime commissioner: We advised our client on a public procurement challenge brought by the AA to a tender process for the award of driver offender rehabilitation courses.
• A local authority: We are currently advising our client on the arrangements in place with the client’s community interest company, including the potential delivery of software services by the company to the Council and other local authorities pursuant to exemptions under the public procurement rules.

PUBLIC PROCUREMENT

• Central Bedfordshire Council: We provided urgent advice in relation to a complex and high priority procurement project for Central Bedfordshire Council. The Council’s Cabinet needed to understand if the solution being proposed was within the ambit of the Public Contracts Regulations, if there were any risks for the Council and how these could be managed and mitigated. The advice addressed the key legal and commercial issues, identified the risks and explained how they could be managed.
• Central Bedfordshire Council: We are instructed by Central Bedfordshire Council to defend a claim brought in the TCC by Heron Bros Limited regarding alleged breaches of the Public Contracts Regulations 2006 in relation to an OJEU procurement for the construction of the new Flitwick Leisure Centre.
• A local authority: Advising this unitary authority in respect of a challenge brought by an unsuccessful bidder in respect of the conduct of an evaluation process for the procurement of a new leisure centre development.

REGENERATION & REAL ESTATE

• Derbyshire Council Council: for over a decade we have been supporting the Derbyshire County Council in developing a business park on mainly reclaimed coal industry land and Markham Vale alongside a motorway served by a new junction (J29A). In late 2013/early 2014 we advised Derbyshire County Council in connection with a grant application to the Enterprise Zone Capital Growth Fund via Sheffield City Council for a grant of over £14m to enable the final part of the very large site – the former Seymour Colliery surface - to be serviced and opened up for development for high specification B2/B8 units. We provided a State aid analysis of the project which informed the proposal, which was successful in securing grant aid.

WASTE

• City and County of Swansea Council: We advised the Council on its Tir John waste project. This involved working as part of a multi-disciplinary team to procure a waste management contract. We provided advice on construction, property, employment and procurement and provided support for the Council’s team.
• A local authority: We advised a local authority about risks of challenge associated with its arrangements to procure a waste disposal contract.
• Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council: Advising on the the outsourcing to the private sector of its waste management operations pursuant to an OJEU tender process.