Following yesterdays decision to pull back from allocating a major advertisng ocntract, without going through a competitive tender process, the York Council has now said how it intends to proceed.
A report (click) claims that a full procurement exercise is needed because the value of the contract is likely to exceed a £5 million threshold. Competive tenders must therefore be sought .
This, however, means that the new contract cannot now be introduced until January 2026.
It also means that planned additional income of £500,000 will not be received in the short term, putting further pressure on the Councils budget.
The report fails to respond to other criticisms of the original strategy.
The new contract, when it is agreed, is likely to be based on a profit share arrangement with the Council proportionately benefiting from advertising sales.
It will thus be under pressure to approve the installation of digital advertising boards in sensitive locations.
This is a particular problem in an historic City. Only recently the Council turned down similar plans from BT who wanted to install boards at some of their kiosk sites. There is a potential clash of interest between the Authorty as a adverting revenue recipient, and in its role as a Planning Authority
..and the odd plan to ban KitKat adverting from kiosks has not gone away. Labour Councillors still apparently want to apply a restrictive foodstuffs advertisng policy to any new contract..
The Council is being recommended today to extend the exisiting Decaux contract until December 2025.
The authority has already been labelled as “finacilly illiterate”
This latest blunder will do little to improve that reputation.
Earlier 8th May 2024
York Council backtracks on unlawful bus shelter contract
The Council has abandoned its plan to hand out a new bus shelter advertising contract without seeking competitive tenders.
It had favoured a “behind closed doors” deal with the existing Decaux provider who it had claimed would pay a bung into Labours “Community Fund”
Procurement regulations, however, require that an open tendering process be followed. This happened when Decaux took over the contract from the previous providers Adshel several years ago.
The Labour plan – which had included a ban on chocolate advertising in the shelters – had been called in for further consideration by LibDem opposition Councillors. However, before any debate about the merits of the plan could begin, Council officials capitulated and withdrew the proposal.
It is understood that a full competitive procurement process will now be implemented in accordance with the Councils financial regulations.
The costs and other consequences of the false start have yet to be revealed although a report to an Executive meeting taking place on Thursday is promised
Earlier 11th April 2023
York Council to deploy digital marketing screens in both bus shelters and on free-standing street boards
The Council is to give JC Decaux a 15-year contract for digital advertising in the City.
The company is the current provider of advertising bus shelters some of which will be converted to incorporate electronic boards. JCDecaux UK are not the only provider of bus shelters, but they own 142 bus shelters (of which 80 include paper advertising).
No competitive tenders for the contract have been sought by the Council.
Previous Councils have been cautious about rolling out intrusive digital advertising screens because of their potential impact on the historic environment and neighbour amenity.
It appears that the authority has been seduced by promises of over £100,000 in advertising revenue, a new propaganda platform for their “communications messages” plus donations from the contractor to Labour’s new “Community Fund”. The company will also facilitate “tree-planting and community-led biodiversity activities”.
Some of the shelters may incorporate air quality monitoring equipment and footfall meters.
What shelter users will not see are chocolate bar, burger, cola and junk food adverts.
All “high fat, salt and sugar” product adverts will be banned – because the Council doesn’t want residents to get fat.
There is a long list of banned goods and services (click) on the Council list although the ban does not extend to political adverts
There have been major problems with the maintenance of Decaux bus shelters in parts of the City over the last couple of years.
Damage has gone unrepaired for months on end. Some have become gathering grounds for criminals.
The new contract says that seats will be provided in every shelter. They need to get the anti social behaviour sorted out first.
The new contract will say that all items shall be cleaned at least once a fortnight throughout the year – including sides and clear roofs; graffiti and fly posters shall be removed within one working day of JC Decaux UK becoming aware or being notified; offensive graffiti shall be removed within four (4) Normal Working Hours of the JC Decaux UK becoming aware or being notified; routine repairs shall be carried out within two working days of the JC Decaux becoming aware or being notified of the fault; & “Brandsabotage/Brandalism” – on notification the JC Decaux shall replace within a day
NB. There is a further Council advertising contract held by “Community Partnerships”. There have been no reports on the success or otherwise of their stewardship although it is understood it includes the adverts seen on roundabouts and central reservations (which are rapidly disappearing into the undergrowth as the Council’s “no mow” policy takes effect) .
York News Focus 
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