Procurement of a development partner for the redevelopment of the Land East of Sevenoaks High Street, Sevenoaks

Description

Procurement of a development partner for works and services to deliver the redevelopment of the Land East of Sevenoaks High Street (the “Site”), including reprovision of a leisure centre and construction of residential units. The Council has identified the opportunity to regenerate the Site. Various feasibility work and other due diligence studies have been undertaken to explore potential redevelopment options for the Site. The Council’s imperative is to re-provide the Sevenoaks leisure centre, improve the public realm (especially to include the link between the High Street and Knole Park) and to inject the town centre with much needed investment to enhance the vitality and vibrance to sustain the market town. An initial scheme concept design option has been prepared to demonstrate how the Council’s requirements could be delivered across the Site, however the Council is looking to Bidders to prepare their own schemes (as set out in the Memorandum of Information issued via the Council’s Portal). In respect of this opportunity, the Council’s advisors undertook a comprehensive market engagement exercise during February 2025. They sought to engage with suppliers to establish the level of interest in the development site and the key parameters for undertaking a procurement. To enable market engagement, a brochure was developed and sent out to 11 suppliers who were identified as being a representative group of developers within the marketplace that carry out town centre or other developments with or for public bodies. Participation in the PME will not influence future supplier selection, nor does it preclude any organisation from participating in the procurement. The brochure gave details of the opportunity, the contracting authority's vision for the scheme, the illustrative masterplan (dated February 2025), the intended procurement route, and the key questions on which developer feedback was sought. The market engagement also included parties previously consulted by the Council as part of market engagement in 2022 and 2023. The brochure was used to provide overall context and to help facilitate follow-up meetings with interested parties. The responses received (including from meetings held) have informed the authority's requirements, procurement approach, conditions for participation and award criteria, likely suppliers that may be able to supply the services and works, and the intended commercial terms. The PME also established market knowledge of and interest in the opportunity. Steps were taken and will be taken to ensure that suppliers involved in this market engagement are not put at an unfair advantage in any competition in relation to a contract award to be carried out. A letter setting out the outcomes of the Preliminary Market Engagement is available through the following link: https://sevenoaksgovuk-my.sharepoint.com/personal/david_lagzdins_sevenoaks_gov_uk/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2Fpersonal%2Fdavid%5Flagzdins%5Fsevenoaks%5Fgov%5Fuk%2FDocuments%2FLEOHS%20Preliminary%20Market%20Engagement&ga=1