Agenda item

Councillor Lisa Homan noted her disappointment in bringing this report to Cabinet. It requested to authorise the termination of the contract for responsive repairs for housing with United Living Property Services Limited (ULPS) by 29 October 2021 and to mobilise the reserve contract that was in place. ULPS was not working well with residents and had decided not to continue with the contract. Therefore the report recommended Morgan Sindall Property Services Limited as the backup contractor. Going out to tender for a new contract would not be advisable as the process would go beyond the winter months, when demand for responsive housing repairs typically increases significantly. The Council wanted to ensure that the best service was delivered to its residents.

The Leader added that Brexit and Covid had had a profound detrimental effect on the building, repairs and maintenance industry, leading to a severe shortage of skilled labour. Despite that, the Council demanded high standards for its residents and the current contractor was not delivering it. He was pleased that residents had been consulted on their views about the repairs services and the recommendations on this paper had been designed to affect a major improvement in resident satisfaction.

AGREED UNANIMOUSLY BY THE CABINET MEMBERS PRESENT:

1.    To note that Appendix 1 is not for publication on the basis that it contains information relating to the financial or business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information) as set out in paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

2.    To seek authority for an additional budget as set out in the exempt Appendix 1 for  the remaining four years of the responsive repairs contracts (to 31^st July 2025).

3.    To authorise the termination of the contract for responsive repairs (housing) with United Living Property Services Limited (ULPS) on or before 29^th October 2021 subject to the finalisation of approved terms between the parties, the negotiation of which is delegated to the Director of Finance in consultation with the Assistant Director of Legal Services.

4.    To authorise the activation of the reserve contract for lot 2 (central area) through formal written instruction to Morgan Sindall Property Services Limited subject to the termination of the United Living Property Services Limited contract.  That the Director of Finance be delegated authority to undertake any negotiations to finalise terms in respect of this contract award.

5.    To authorise a contract variation to the lot 1 (North area) contract to include an updated property list as the definition of the reserve contract properties.

6.    To authorise a contract variation to the Responsive Capital contract with Kier Services Limited to add prices for responsive works to void (empty) properties as detailed in Appendix 1.

7.    To authorise a contract variation to the Morgan Sindall lot 1 (North area) contract to add prices for the completion of a programme of Work In Progress to be transferred from ULPS, as detailed in Appendix 1.

8.    That the Director of Finance, in consultation with the Assistant Director of Legal Services, be authorised to enter into agreements as necessary to bring the decisions in this report into effect.