New £28m contract drawn up in Hammersmith to speed up housing repairs

By Ben Lynch, Local Democracy Reporter

Hammersmith and Fulham council has awarded a new £28million repairs contract in a bid to prevent a backlog of defects in homes across the borough again.

 In March, the local authority approved the termination of its repairs contracts – covering the north and central parts of the borough – with Morgan Sindall.

 Council papers state this was done with mutual consent and that the contracts would run until September 30. The council has now announced it has awarded the works to property services and development company Wates following a procurement process.

 The deal is to run for three years from October 1.

 Between late 2022 and early 2023, a backlog of repairs, disrepair works and ‘voids’ had built up. Voids are repairs or improvements needed to properties where someone has moved out and they must be done before someone else can move in.

“These had negative impacts on tenants and generated complaints – and created risk in terms of further legal challenge and compensation cost and continued rent loss due to overdue voids,” council officers wrote.

Steps were taken to improve the service, including the appointment of several extra contractors. While these things helped, the council decided it still wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand for repairs in the next three years, which is when the new contract runs to.

Council officers said of the new contract: “This will offer stability to our residents and our homes.”

Morgan Sindall continues to hold a contract with Hammersmith and Fulham for gas-related works. This includes boiler servicing, repairs and replacements.

A spokesman for the council reiterated Wates is not the first new contractor to join the repairs service, as it had already brought others on board to work through the existing workload.

A spokesman for Morgan Sindall Property Services said: “The repairs partnership was reaching its contractual end date in 2025 and the decision to end it in 2024 allows the council to fully consider its service delivery and procurement options.”

Earlier this year, the Housing Ombudsman published a report which highlighted issues including the council’s approach to repairs, and delays to them being completed.

In response, Hammersmith and Fulham said it was ‘truly sorry’, and that it had taken steps to improve its service.

They says latest figures show 95 per cent of routine repairs being completed on time in September 2024, with 89 per cent overall for this year, and 95 per cent of emergency repairs finished on time.

They added that 100 per cent of all overdue damp and mould repairs are also now complete, with more than 1,100 jobs carried out since April 2023.

Wates has been approached for comment.

Picture: Pixabay / Steve Buissinne