---
title: "Interim Highways and Infrastructure Support"
ocid: "ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a"
canonical_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a"
markdown_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a.md"
json_url: "https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a.json"
source: "Find A Tender Service"
current_stage: "Award"
buyer: "Cheshire West and Chester Council"
published: "2026-09-03"
---

# Interim Highways and Infrastructure Support

Buyer: Cheshire West and Chester Council  
Current stage: Award  
OCID: ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a

[View canonical contract page](https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a)  
[Download OCDS JSON](https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a.json)

## Summary

Cheshire West and Chester Council procured interim highways consultancy and infrastructure leadership support. The appointed consultant provides continuity of leadership within a critical statutory service while the council recruits a permanent postholder. The scope covers oversight of highways operations, capital investment programmes, major contractual arrangements, network management duties, flood-risk responsibilities, emergency response arrangements and the council’s wider highways and infrastructure portfolio. This is a professional services requirement for an experienced highways and infrastructure consultancy or individual with the authority and practical expertise to lead a broad local-government service. The work relates to the council’s highways and infrastructure responsibilities across its area, with the council based in Ellesmere Port. The relevant classification is highways consultancy services (CPV 71311210).

The procurement has reached completion and was awarded through a limited procedure without a prior competition, using the ESPO Consultancy Services Framework 664_25. The award was made to Essency Consulting, an SME. The contract is valued at £51,000 including the stated currency of GBP and was signed on 2 September 2026. The requirement was arranged as one lot; that lot is recorded as cancelled, while the award and contract are recorded as active. Price was the stated award criterion. One bid was recorded, and it came from an SME. The process was covered by the Government Procurement Agreement. The published outcome therefore shows a direct framework appointment for interim leadership and oversight across the council’s highways and infrastructure functions.

For a supplier assessing future demand from this council, the procurement indicates a need for credible interim leadership rather than a narrowly defined technical consultancy. Relevant capability includes senior management of highways operations, capital investment programmes, major supplier and contract arrangements, network management, flood-risk responsibilities and emergency response. A credible competitor would need to demonstrate that it can provide immediate service continuity, exercise effective oversight across statutory responsibilities and manage a wide infrastructure portfolio while a permanent appointment is being made. Experience of local-government highways services, public-sector governance, programme investment and operational risk would be directly relevant. The route used was a direct award from the ESPO Consultancy Services Framework, so suppliers seeking comparable work would need suitable framework access or a relationship with an eligible framework provider.

## Notice

The consultant will provide essential continuity of leadership within a critical statutory service, ensuring effective oversight of highways operations, capital investment programmes, major contractual arrangements, network management duties, flood risk responsibilities, emergency response arrangements and the Council's wider highways and infrastructure portfolio pending recruitment of a permanent postholder

### Lot Information

Lot 1

The consultant will provide essential continuity of leadership within a critical statutory service, ensuring effective oversight of highways operations, capital investment programmes, major contractual arrangements, network management duties, flood risk responsibilities, emergency response arrangements and the Council's wider highways and infrastructure portfolio pending recruitment of a permanent postholder

### Procurement Information

Direct award on ESPO Consultancy Services Framework 664_25

## Key Details

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication source | Find A Tender Service |
| Latest notice | https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083393-2026 |
| Notice type | Award Notice |
| Procurement type | Standard |
| Procurement category | Services |
| Procurement method | Limited |
| Procurement method details | Award procedure without prior publication of a call for competition |
| Tender suitability | Not specified |
| Awardee scale | SME |
| All stages | Award |

## Dates

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Publication date | 3 Sep 2026 |
| Submission deadline | Not specified |
| Future notice date | Not specified |
| Award date | Not specified |
| Contract period | Not specified |
| Recurrence | Not specified |

## Values

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender value | Not specified |
| Lots value | Not specified |
| Awards value | Not specified |
| Contracts value | £51,000 |

## Status

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Tender status | Complete |
| Lots status | Cancelled |
| Awards status | Active |
| Contracts status | Active |

## Buyer

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Main buyer | Cheshire West and Chester Council |
| Locality | ELLESMERE PORT |
| Postcode area | Chester |
| Postcode | CH65 0BA |
| Country | England |
| ITL 1 | TLD North West (England) |
| ITL 2 | TLD6 Cheshire |
| ITL 3 | TLD63 Cheshire West and Chester |
| Local authority | Cheshire West and Chester |
| Electoral ward | Central & Grange |
| Westminster constituency | Ellesmere Port and Bromborough |
| Delivery location | TLD North West (England) |

## Supplier

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Number of suppliers | 1 |
| Supplier names | Essency Consulting Limited |

## CPV Codes

### Divisions

- 71 - Architectural, construction, engineering and inspection services

### Codes

- 71311210 - Highways consultancy services

## Release History

- 3 Sep 2026 at 11:38 - Award - Award Notice - https://www.find-tender.service.gov.uk/Notice/083393-2026

## Notice URLs

- http://www.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

## Provenance

This Markdown file is an alternate public rendering of the D3 Tenders contract record. The canonical page is https://d3tenders.com/contract/?ocid=ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a. The underlying structured data is available as OCDS JSON at https://d3tenders.com/contract/ocds-h6vhtk-06f11a.json.
