RESOLVED
That the Cabinet
a) approves that Crawley Borough Council continue to act as lead authority and provide procurement services on behalf of Horsham District Council, Mid Sussex District Council and Mole Valley District Council from 1 April 2022.
b) agrees to the provision of services under an Inter-Authority Agreement for a minimum period of four years commencing on 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2026 with an option to extend for a further period of up to four years.
c) agrees to accept a delegation from Horsham District Council, Mid Sussex District Council and Mole Valley District Council of their procurement functions under Section 101 of the Local Government Act 1972.
d) delegates authority to the Head of Legal, Governance and HR and Head of Corporate Finance to agree the terms of the Inter-Authority Agreement which reflects the principles outlined in the report.
e) delegates to the Head of Legal, Governance and HR, and Head of Corporate Finance the ability to apply the four year extension at the end of the initial term subject to performance review and in consultation with the Leader of the Council.
Reasons for the Recommendations
The current joint working arrangement with Horsham District Council, Mid Sussex Council and Mole Valley District Council is due for renewal on 31st March 2022 and therefore there is a need for Members to agree how procurement services will be provided in the future in order to give partners assurance that services will continue beyond this date.