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To appoint Ian Williams Ltd and Lovell Partnerships Ltd under a
five year term contract to deliver the internal decent homes
component replacement, disability adaptations and communal
works.

Reasons for the decision

Between 2004 and 2009 CBH delivered the Creating Better Homes
programme. This project aimed to improve the living conditions for
CBC tenants in around 3500 homes across the Borough and provide a
'decent home' which is defined as being warm, weatherproof and
having reasonably modern facilities. These improvement works were
focussed on kitchen and bathroom replacements, electrical rewires
and heating upgrades. The anticipated life span for a kitchen is 20
years and a bathroom 30 years. The kitchens that were replaced
through the Creating Better Homes programme are now becoming due
for replacement, whilst some bathrooms, level access showers and
electrics may also need renewal or upgrading to maintain compliance
with the Decent Homes Standard. To improve service delivery, it is
also proposed that disability adaptations and some communal work
such as flooring and soil stack renewals will also be delivered
under this contract.

A procurement exercise has taken place and following receipt of
eleven tenders, Lovell Partnerships Ltd and Ian Williams Ltd were
selected being the highest two scoring tenderers when evaluated on
the quality of their submission and cost.   

Budgetary provision was made in the HRA budget 24/25 proposals
presented for Council approval in Feb 24, with a projection of
budgetary requirements for the following two years. The HRA 30 year
plan includes for significant investment in renewal of these
components. For future years no orders committing to spend under
the new contract will be raised until budget approval has been
given on an annual basis.

Alternative options considered

The Council considered continuing a programme of maintenance and
renewal of these components through the in-house Building Services
operation, however, scale and timeframe for the project was
compared against the existing resources, skills and capabilities
and it was decided that the appointment of external contractors
would be required to meet the upcoming programme of work.