Haringey Council is considering revisions to its contract standing orders (CSOs) to address minor omissions and implement audit recommendations.

The Standards Committee met on 13 November 2025, to discuss proposed revisions to Part Four, Section J of the council's constitution, concerning CSOs. The proposed amendments aim to rectify some minor omissions following the previous update in March 2025, which aligned the CSOs with the new Procurement Act 2023 and the centralisation of procurements above £25,000. One key omission was a clerical error preventing directors from varying or extending contracts, where the total value, including the original award, was less than £500,000.

The key amendments that the Standards Committee was asked to note were:

  • Directors may approve extensions and variations of contracts with an aggregated value of less than £500,000. The Cabinet will approve any variation or extension with an aggregate value of £500,000 or more.
  • Letters of Intent are restricted to 50% of the contract value, where the contract value is £100,000 or less. This change addresses risks associated with service delivery, liabilities, and commercial arrangements that arise when officers issue Letters of Intent covering the entire contract value up to £100,000 without formal contractual agreements in place.
  • Directors are to record decisions to novate contracts and notify the Chief Procurement Officer of such decisions. This ensures compliance with the Procurement Act 2023 and Public Contract Regulations 2015. Without this documentation, novations could be processed without necessary compliance checks, potentially leading to ineffective contracts and sanctions.

According to the Standards Committee Report CSO Changes Nov 2025 v1.1, without amending the CSO to state that Directors are able to vary and extend contracts would conflict with other delegated provisions within the constitution.

The need for updated CSOs regarding contract novation stemmed from a 2025 audit of Managing Contracts within Housing. The audit recommended that CSOs be updated to require documentary evidence of decisions relating to contract novation. The Chief Procurement Officer is to be sent copies of these decisions to ensure compliance with the Procurement Act. The Chief Procurement Officer's review of these decisions ensures that the new contractor meets the requirements within the relevant legislative frameworks.

The proposed changes are detailed in the Standards Committee Report CSO Changes Nov 2025 v1.1. A summary of the proposed changes can be found in Summary of Proposed CSO Amendments Nov 2025 v1.1. The full proposed changes can be reviewed in the CSO March 2025 vs Nov 2025 v1.1 Comparison.