8.10.1 Maintenance is required in order to allow the Contractor to keep any facility at the appropriate standard in order to meet the output specification throughout the life of the Contract (see Section 11 (Maintenance)). The programme for planned preventative maintenance should be agreed in advance in the Contract between the parties so that the extent to which units or areas will be affected by the Contractor undertaking such maintenance is clear.
8.10.2 There should be no deduction for unavailability or performance deductions during periods when agreed preventative maintenance is taking place as planned. The Contractor will have to balance whether maintenance occurring at times other than those agreed will result in an improvement or worsening in its financial position (e.g. by postponing or accelerating maintenance).
8.10.3 Arrangements and contractual requirements in relation to planned preventative maintenance must be considered by the Authority and its advisers, including arrangements around the timing of work. What is reasonable will depend on the nature of the activities undertaken by the Contractor. For example, the maintenance of a school should be capable of being planned around holiday periods or outside school hours so there should, in most projects, be no maintenance planned during school hours or in term time.