SPECIALIST CONSULTANCY SUPPORT TO THE SPATIAL PLANNING TEAM

Swale Borough Council is inviting Expressions of Interest to tender for specialist consultancy to assist it with its priority to bring forward the identification and assessment of sites for the delivery of a range of housing options, to support the Local Plan. Since being elected in May 2019, the new Administration has been clear that its priority is to relook at the possible strategies for housing delivery in the context of the review of the Local Plan that is ongoing. It also wishes to address the need for more social and affordable housing.

The Council is at an early stage of preparation of the Local Plan and will shortly have completed work on its Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHMAA) and its Local Housing Needs Assessment (LHNA) to support work in preparation of its Issues and Options consultation due for publication in Spring 2020 and progressing towards Preferred Options in early 2021. This proposed work will support further the Council's priority towards making the best use of brownfield sites, particularly within the key town centres and to facilitate and encourage greater affordable housing provision.

The Council would also require the consultants to review:

• the ability of the local housing market to bring forward housing delivery and the constraint this may pose to being able to meet the Governments expected standard housing calculation; • an assessment of the potential constraints posed by lack of infrastructure, particularly transport related, and the environmental constraints within the borough; • an initial scoping assessment for the redevelopment options available for Sittingbourne High Street.

This work should be completed by end of March 2020. There is then potential for a contract extension to be agreed to develop scheme options and viability assessment for identified sites and bring forward to planning application stage agreed sites.

The contract will commence on Monday, 25 November 2019 and terminate on Sunday, 24 March 2019. The Council may extend this opportunity for a further 9 months.

The tenderer/s who submit the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, (MEAT) will be awarded the contract.

Expressions of Interest and Invitation to Tender (I.T.T.) must be submitted / uploaded on the Council's e-tendering portal.

The closing date for submissions of Expressions of Interest and the closing date for the I.T.T. will be 14/11/2019 12:00 noon.