Award-winning highway services contract saves £1.8 million for Peterborough taxpayers

An innovative highway services contract introduced by Serco and Peterborough City Council has scooped a prestigious national award after saving £1.8m for Peterborough taxpayers in just three years.

The initiative involves Serco’s procurement specialists working on behalf of Peterborough City Council to manage a major highways services contract with Skanska. The project was named Contract Management Initiative of the Year 2017/18 at the GO Awards, which celebrate excellence in public procurement right across the UK public sector.

The services bought through the contract - which is a public-private partnership between Peterborough City Council and Skanska - include everything from road repairs to winter street gritting, as well as maintenance of street lighting, drainage systems and bridges.

Judges of the award were specifically looking for evidence of; partnership, innovation, engagement, relationship management, effectiveness, value for money, delivery, stakeholder involvement, and a clear evidence of measurable benefit. 

Serco and Peterborough City Council’s initiative was singled out by judges not only for delivering savings of £1.85m, but also for its strong management of environmental impacts, including successful delivery of a commitment to reduce carbon emissions by 15% over the first three years of the contract.

Darren Ford, Head of Procurement, Peterborough Serco Strategic Partnership said:

“This is an achievement the whole procurement team are very proud of. We are thrilled to have been able to save £1.8m for Peterborough taxpayers, all while ensuring residents receive a quality highways service. We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Skanska and the Council to deliver further benefits for Peterborough residents over the coming years.”

Andy Tatt, Head of Peterborough Highways Services, Peterborough City Council said:

“This award is the culmination of the hard work and dedication from the whole team who continually impress me with their desire and motivation to continually improve in these challenging times. I would especially like to mention the joint working between Serco, Skanska and Peterborough City Council, which has ultimately led to the success of the contract in which the authority will benefit for many years to come.”

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Photo : Left to right: Andy Tatt, Peterborough City Council, Head of Highways Services, Darren Ford, Serco, Head of Procurement, Matthew Rains, Serco, Procurement Manager