Tender: Town Planning Legal Advice for Frimley Health New Hospital Programme – Frimley Park, Heatherwood and Trust Estate

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Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust is seeking a supplier for specialist town planning legal advice services to support the New Hospital Programme at Frimley Park Hospital, Heatherwood Hospital and the Trust's existing estate. The appointed provider will deliver legal advice, drafting, negotiation, advocacy support and representation across the full range of town and country planning and related matters under the law of England and Wales to support planning approval during RIBA Stages 2 to 4. The scope covers strategic planning advice and risk assessment; advice on planning applications, consents, conditions, variations and certificates of lawfulness; heritage and listed building consents; negotiation and drafting of section 106 agreements, unilateral undertakings and Community Infrastructure Levy advice; highway and transport agreements under sections 278 and 38 of the Highways Act 1980; management of planning appeals, inquiries and hearings including instruction of counsel and expert witnesses; enforcement and compliance responses; judicial review and statutory challenge advice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990; Environmental Impact Assessment, Habitats Regulations Assessment and biodiversity net gain advice; and governance, committee and information rights support. The provider is expected to offer responsive, commercially focused advice on a matter-by-matter basis, work as part of an integrated professional team and coordinate with the Trust's planning consultants and wider design and construction programme while the Trust operates from a live, occupied acute site. The initial contractual commitment is for RIBA Stage 2, with an anticipated overall contract term of two years and the Trust reserving the right to extend to RIBA Stages 4 and 5; this procurement is an open procedure under the Procurement Act 2023 and tender submissions must meet the conditions of participation which are assessed on a pass/fail basis.