Looking at the lie of the land - Graham Edward

Our appointment by Efficiency North on to the Landsolve 2.0 framework as a land adviser, along with a fresh and vibrant team of talented framework members, got me thinking about the importance of such frameworks in bringing about community regeneration across the region.
Graham Edward, managing director of Edward ArchitectureGraham Edward, managing director of Edward Architecture
Graham Edward, managing director of Edward Architecture

Landsolve is unique as it is the only framework for the public sector dedicated to land and estates and its aim is to maximise the value and support development of surplus land across the country for the benefit of the public and charitable sector.

The reason we were particularly keen to be part of the Landsolve framework is that the projects are usually community based. We found its generally investing in areas that help with regeneration, creating jobs and general wellbeing for communities.

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Social value is at the heart of all of EN:Procure procurement frameworks. By building social value into every contract, they ensure consistent, measurable and meaningful social value outcomes, linked directly to sustainable employment.

EN:Procure aims to ensure that Social Value and Social Return on Investment (SROI) is achieved through every framework. Using a framework has many advantages including saving significant time and money, while still delivering a service specified to local requirements and supporting local decision-making and accountability.

One practical effect of a framework agreement is the freedom to award contracts without the need to re-advertise and re-apply the selection and award criteria. This alone will lead to all parties saving the substantial time and cost of repeat bidding.

The mem-bers and part-ners associated with Efficiency North which include many local authorities and housing associations and the contacts landowners, developers and funders can generate development compatibility.

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Also, the consultant team is instant and oven ready without the need for in-depth appointment documents. As well as being speedy, it’s an opportunity for public sector organisations to easily tap into experienced set of land adviser consultants with a track record of delivering.

Continuous improvement requires a system for establishing objectives and targets and monitoring performance and frameworks offer the structure needed to measure and improve performance during a project, and to compare successive projects to see that lessons are transferred from project to project.

Keeping the team together is a major contributing factor in continuous improvement over time.

During the last four years Edward Architecture has advised and designed schemes totalling 2.5m sq ft of accommodation for a range of public sector organisations, all with excellent social value gain.

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Frameworks are important to a region as they provide high-level foresight. Investment in infrastructure, land and development creates growth which in turn creates investment, jobs, new housing, new and bigger businesses and community projects and places such as sports, parks, open space really improves health and wellbeing.

A public sector land framework like Landsolve is ideally suited to be a big part of this growth, investment, community cycle. A location will not be successful if it does not attract people to live and work in it or provide its existing population with the means to prosper.

Every place needs to be planned as an attractive location to live, with adequate housing supply and cultural and recreation offerings.

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Thank you

James Mitchinson

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