Newham Council is set to spend £11 million on corporate security services over the next four years. The decision, made during an Officer Key Decision meeting on 25 November 2025, aims to consolidate the council's security contracts and achieve better value for money. The council currently spends an average of £4.5 million annually on security provision, which is funded from the council's revenue budget.
The council currently spends an average of £4.5 million annually on security through ad-hoc spot purchases. According to the Public Reports Pack, these arrangements lack formal contracts and agreed rates, leading to higher costs and a lack of assurance regarding fair pay and compliance with the London Living Wage (LLW).
To address these issues, Newham Council initiated an open tender process, receiving 22 bids across four lots. Following evaluation and moderation, the contracts were awarded as detailed in Appendix A of the Public Reports Pack. The contracts to be awarded under lots 1 and 3 are for ongoing activity that will remain in place to cover CCTV monitoring and mobile patrols. The contracts to be awarded under lots 2 and 4 are based on ad-hoc requirements, which the council can use to pick up provision as it requires. A contingency has been added in case the council's demand for these services increases over the term of the contracts. As the services for lots 2 and 4 are ad-hoc, a contingency has been added in case the council's demand for these services increases over the term of the contracts. The document does not specify how it will be funded.
Paul Kitson, Corporate Director Inclusive Economy Housing and Culture, in consultation with the Cabinet Lead Member for Finance and Resources, approved the award of twelve corporate security contracts under four lots for a 48-month period. This decision was delegated to him following a cabinet decision on 4 February 2025.
The new contracts are projected to save the council approximately £1.8 million over the four-year term, or about £450,000 per year, through fixed hourly rates. The council also aims to promote local employment by encouraging providers to recruit within the borough where possible. All successful bidders pay London Living Wage (LLW), supporting the Pillar 3 Action Plan to increase the number of Newham workers earning LLW. Furthermore, all successful bidders have confirmed that their security personnel are Security Industry Authority (SIA) licensed and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked.
The specific locations and assets covered by the new corporate security contracts are detailed in Appendix B of the Public Reports Pack.
The revised security arrangements are expected to support the council's 'Towards a Better Newham' objectives, particularly concerning resident safety (Pillars 2 and 4) and increasing the number of Newham workers earning LLW (Pillar 3).