MD26097 - Plan Mid Devon Open Space, Allotment Play Area Study

1. Aims and objectives of the tender exercise To appoint a suitably qualified consultant through a fair, transparent and proportionate competitive process to prepare an updated Open Space, Play Area and Allotments Study for Plan Mid Devon. The commission will establish an up-to-date audit and baseline; identify quantitative, qualitative and accessibility deficiencies or surpluses; derive locally justified standards; assess growth options and site allocations; and provide practical policy, developer-contribution, infrastructure-delivery and long-term stewardship recommendations. The procurement also seeks value for money, timely delivery, robust and repeatable methodology, editable GIS and audit data, knowledge transfer, coordination with related evidence studies and outputs that remain usable following Local Government Reorganisation. 2. Description of the requirement and background to the procurement Mid Devon District Council is preparing Plan Mid Devon for the proposed period 2026-2046. The existing Plan Mid Devon Open Space & Play Area Strategy 2014-2033 is now out of date in relation to population data, policy, commitments, growth options, site quality, accessibility, play provision, stewardship and developer contributions. The emerging Local Plan must plan for healthy and inclusive communities alongside substantial housing growth. Current evidence identifies approximately 6,646 committed dwellings and a need for around 6,000 additional allocations, with growth distributed across Tiverton, Cullompton, Crediton and sustainable rural settlements. Updated evidence is needed to show current provision, local needs and the open-space, play and allotment requirements of this growth. The Study is deliberately distinct from a full Green Infrastructure Strategy, Playing Pitch Strategy or Built Facilities Strategy. It must coordinate with those evidence streams while avoiding duplication. It must also provide parish-, settlement- and district-level outputs suitable for future use by the proposed Exeter and Devon successor authorities. 3. What is being purchased and why The Council is purchasing specialist professional consultancy services covering data review; open-space and play audit; GIS mapping and network accessibility analysis; proportionate site visits; quality and value assessment; allotment demand evidence; standards development; growth and site-allocation assessment; area profiles; developer-contribution methodology; policy recommendations; action planning; and final publication-ready reports and editable datasets. External support is required because the work needs dedicated capacity and specialist expertise in Local Plan open-space evidence, play and allotment provision, site-audit methodology, GIS/accessibility modelling, standards, developer contributions, infrastructure planning and examination-ready policy evidence. Council officers will retain client management, local knowledge, engagement leadership and decision-making roles. 4. Procurement route, value and timetable The RFQ reference is MD26096. It proposes a single-stage competitive procedure under the regulated below-threshold provisions of the Procurement Act 2023. The maximum budget is £30,000 including VAT. Award will be based on 70% quality and 30% price, with published pass/fail participation requirements, quality criteria and a transparent fixed-fee cost breakdown. The intended contract period is November 2026 to June 2027. Internal approvals are programmed for the week commencing 26 October 2026, contract award for 13 November 2026 and service commencement/inception for 16 November 2026. 5. Decision-making and approvals The RFQ states that contract award is subject to the Council's formal approval process and that no contract will be entered into until all necessary approvals are obtained. The procurement is well below £1 million, so Corporate SLT and Cabinet approval is not indicated by the RFQ. Procurement and the budget holder should confirm the applicable delegated decision and financial approval route, the authorised officer and any required decision record before issue and award. 6. Risk assessment and mitigations A project-specific Risk and Opportunity Register has been completed. Principal risks concern market capacity; scope overlap with related evidence; budget; programme and seasonal site audits; poor or outdated asset data; site access and health and safety; delayed stakeholder/Council input; Local Government Reorganisation; inconsistent quality/value assessment; confidentiality and personal data; and procurement conflicts/fairness. Mitigations include clear scope boundaries and deliverables; transparent evaluation; fixed-fee pricing; early data review and audit planning; consistent pro-formas and assessor calibration; proportionate site verification; Council-led parish engagement; regular reporting and written decision logs; secure data handling; conflict declarations; officer review and QA; and transferable editable data and methods. 7. Impact assessment The procurement is for a professional evidence-base service and is not expected to create material direct adverse equality impacts. The Study is intended to support positive outcomes through better access to open space, play, allotments and outdoor recreation, with benefits for health, wellbeing, inclusion and community cohesion. Potential impacts include inaccessible engagement or outputs, under-representation of children, young people, disabled people and rural communities, personal-data risks associated with stakeholder contacts or allotment waiting lists, site-audit safety, and tensions between recreation, biodiversity, heritage, landscape and maintenance requirements. Mitigation will include accessible outputs, Council-led proportionate engagement, consideration of inclusion and barriers to access, data minimisation/aggregation, privacy screening, risk-assessed site visits, and transparent recommendations that coordinate with GI, nature, heritage and service-delivery evidence. Procurement should confirm whether separate Equality Impact Assessment or privacy/DPIA documentation is required. 8. Sustainability Impact Matrix and Social Value Act considerations A Sustainability Impact Matrix has been completed. The procurement supports sustainable and healthy communities by identifying needs and standards for accessible open space, play, allotments and outdoor recreation, while coordinating with climate resilience, green infrastructure, biodiversity, active travel and landscape evidence. Direct delivery impacts will be limited through remote meetings where appropriate, geographically grouped site visits, digital-first outputs, efficient data processing and reuse of existing evidence. Site visits must avoid environmental harm and follow appropriate safety arrangements. Proportionate social-value opportunities include officer knowledge transfer; reusable audit/GIS data; accessible area profiles and maps; fair access for capable SMEs; evidence supporting health, inclusion and community cohesion; clearer developer requirements; and prioritised investment in open space, play and allotments. These benefits should be secured through the core specification and contract management. 9. Procurement Key Themes Checklist The completed checklist addresses climate and ecological considerations, SME access, social value, digital delivery, performance management, value for money, commercial options, risk, partnership working, workforce skills, transparency, data protection, legal compliance, modern slavery and Local Government Reorganisation. Outstanding confirmations concern the delegated approval route, authorised officer/contract manager, evaluation-panel training status, whether Information Governance or Legal input is required, and completion of individual conflict declarations.