Harrogate Borough Council is set to appoint a Hull-based firm to service its heating and air conditioning units on a £125,000 contract without going through its normal procurement process.

A report today will go before HBC’s cabinet member for economic development, Cllr Graham Swift, that asks him to approve the appointment of Airco Refrigeration Limited on a 12-month contract.

Work involves issuing gas safety certificates for commercial boilers, replacing filters in air handling units and servicing of pumps at the council’s heating and refrigeration sites.

The previous supplier, Harrogate-firm Robinson Facilities Services Ltd, was appointed on a five-year contract in 2019. However, the company terminated its contract with 30-days notice on April 19 this year, leaving the council without anyone to provide emergency repairs.

The report said due to the short notice, HBC was unable to undertake a formal procurement exercise, complete market research or benchmarking.

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However, it says Airco has agreed to provide services at an equivalent cost to the outgoing supplier.

The Stray Ferret asked HBC why the company cancelled the contract but we did not receive a response at the time of publication.

The report says:

“It is of the upmost importance that an alternative service provider is appointed without delay as the council is required to hold a valid gas safety certificate for each property in its ownership. Planned preventative maintenance is essential to ensure the council’s operational buildings are safe and fit for purpose.”

The report says that the fixed-term contract will give HBC 12 months to complete a procurement process to appoint a new long-term supplier.