Decisions

To agree to procure the services from PROGRAMME & COMMERCIAL SERVICES LIMITED to provide a Programme Lead consulting service through Martin Barnett (consultant) for the Tram Asset Renewal project at an anticipated overall cost of £90,000 plus £6,000 expenses.

Following the departure of the Senior Principal Project Manager, there is currently a gap in overall responsibility for managing and delivering the Tram Asset Renewal £100m investment programme.

This role will champion a collaborative working environment to build a robust and high performing team capable of rising to the challenges of the programme and developing trusting relationships and governance with peer groups and senior stakeholders.

The service provided will cover responsibility for all aspects of the programme, including (but not limited to) scope setting, resourcing and recruitment, procurement, operations, financial management, progress monitoring and reporting, along with the managing emerging risks and opportunities to ensure that the desired outcomes and objectives are delivered within time, cost, quality and scope targets.

Martin Barnett was originally recruited for the tram transition work via a form of competition where he was one of two candidates interviewed. Martin is therefore a known quantity when it comes to Mass Transit, with the mobilisation/transition experience and competence to be able to hit the ground running and effectively continue provision of this type support to SYMCA.

It is anticipated that Martin would work (on average) 3 days per week on the Asset Renewal project on a temporary and time limited basis until 31 March 2025.

Option 3: To agree to enter into contract with PROGRAMME & COMMERCIAL SERVICES LIMITED to provide Programme Lead consulting services through Martin Barnett (consultant) for the Tram Asset Renewal project at an anticipated cost of £90,000 plus £6,000 expenses.

To agree to procure the services from PROGRAMME & COMMERCIAL SERVICES LIMITED to provide a Programme Lead consulting service through Martin Barnett (consultant) for the Bus Reform project at an anticipated overall cost of £60,000 fees plus £4,000 expenses.

A bus franchise assessment is currently being undertaken and reviewed, and a lead is required to take on responsibility for managing the programme. Following the departure of the interim Programme Director and the Enhanced Partnership Director on 1 April 2024, SYMCA has had no dedicated programme resource supporting the Bus Reform programme. Existing resource deployed is not capable of sustaining the level of time commitment this complex and critical programme requires.

The role will champion a collaborative working environment to build robust and high performing team capable of rising to the challenges of the programme and developing trusting relationships and governance with peer groups and senior stakeholders.

The service provided will cover responsibility for all aspects of the programme, including (but not limited to) scope setting, resourcing and recruitment, procurement, operations, financial management, progress monitoring and reporting, along with the managing emerging risks and opportunities to ensure that the desired outcomes and objectives are delivered within time, cost, quality and scope targets.

Martin Barnett is a known entity to SYMCA, as he was originally recruited for the tram transition work via a form of competition where he was one of two candidates interviewed, so he already knows the organisation well and has the skill set required to effectively provide this type support.

It is anticipated that Martin would work (on average) 2 days per week (subject to further MCA decisions) on the Bus Reform project, on a temporary and time limited basis until 31 March 2025. The balance of time commitment is subject to change and to be informed by future MCA decisions and the evolution of the programme.

Option 3: To agree to enter into contract with PROGRAMME & COMMERCIAL SERVICES LIMITED to provide Programme Lead consulting services through Martin Barnett (consultant) for the Bus Reform project at an anticipated cost of £60,000 fees plus £4,000 expenses

Between 2013 and 2015, embedded rail replacement works were undertaken on the Supertram network. These were carried out by Volker Rail to a design provided by South Yorkshire Supertram Limited.

Following these works, significant lengths of polymer installed by Volker next to the rails failed leading to polymer delamination.

In February 2024 SYMCA entered into a Term Service Contract with Colas Rail Limited to undertake polymer replacement and concrete track bed repairs (to deal with significant concrete defects at sites identified for polymer replacement) on a call-off basis, via discrete Task Orders. Colas’s tendered sum to undertake these works for the first Task Order, which relates to a section of Park Grange Road where the most significant polymer defects are located, is £2,032,028.57. Approval of a figure of £2,194,590.85 (£2,032,028.57 plus 8% risk contingency) was granted at the PTT meeting on 27/09/23.

The repair schedule on which Colas’s tender was based was determined on the basis of a pre-tender survey carried out without traffic management in place and whilst trams were running. These constraints prevented a detailed close-quarters survey from being carried out. Subsequent site surveys have identified significant additional concrete repair work within the Park Grange Road site. Specifically, a detailed survey was carried out by Colas and Mott Macdonald, with traffic management in place, enabling defects to be more accurately identified and recorded. The total revised estimated cost of the works is £3,651,101.23.

The additional cost over and above the existing approved figure is £1,456,510.38.

The additional defects identified in the concrete slab are all considered to be significant and require prioritised repair. This repair work is necessary to arrest further deterioration and preserve the longevity of the track slab.

It is foreseeable that the defects in the concrete slab may cause harm to road users, in particular cyclists and pedestrians. Having a contractor mobilised for the type of works involved represents a significant opportunity to mitigate this risk promptly. SYMCA’s Rail Safety Officer advocates the inclusion of the additional work in the current Task Order.

To instruct Colas Rail Limited to undertake additional work on the South Yorkshire Supertram Embedded Rail Repairs Contract, comprising additional repairs to the concrete track slab identified in a site survey carried out post Contract award, at a cost of £1,456,510.38 (including a 6% allowance for risk).

The current management agreement that is in place with Meadowhall shopping centre for the operation of the interchange, requires the pedestrian bridge, linking the interchange to the shopping centre, to be painted every 5 years. It was last done in 2017.

The project was tendered to 4 contractors who had expressed an interest. Of these 2 submitted tenders, Alfred Bagnall & Sons Ltd and Coating services ltd. The returns have been assessed for quality to ensure they pass the minimum standard required and meets the specification required.

The tender assessment resulted in the following scores that were assessed jointly with Ridge and partners who are acting as project administrators.

Company Quality Price Total

Bagnalls 32.00% 60.00% 92.00%
CSL 23.20% 27.03% 50.23%


The work will therefore be undertaken by the successful tenderer, Alfred Bagnall & sons ltd, for a price of £84,888.30.

Approved