Connaught workers pictured last autumn, after they were told they had lost their jobs.
Norwich City Council begins hunt for company to succeed Connaught
by DAN GRIMMER
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
6:30 AM
Leaders at Norwich City Council have insisted they have learnt the lessons of the collapsed Connaught contract, as they seek to award a multi-million contract to a successor.
The city council is advertising for a single company to provide all the repair and maintenance services for Norwich’s 18,500 council tenants.
The job will initially be for a five-year period, but could be extended for another five years with a total value for that 10 year period of between £80m and £120m.
The contract needs to be re-let after Connaught Partnerships, the previous contractor, went into administration last autumn.
Some 300 workers lost their jobs when the Exeter-based company went into administration. The city council had to award a string of emergency contracts so work could still be done on council homes and a number of local companies were then handed short-term contracts.
But now the main contract has been put out to tender, for all elements of the repair and maintenance including day-to-day responsive repairs, getting empty council homes ready for new tenants, making adaptations for disabled people, fixing garages and emergency re-roofing.
Alan Waters, deputy leader of Norwich City Council and cabinet member for resources, performance and shared services, said it made sense for the same company to be responsible for repairs, despite the problems caused when the single contractor collapsed last time. He said: “Anyone can bid for it, but the fact is that, with 18,500 properties, we are looking for someone to be on the ball in terms of making sure that when repairs come through, that they get done. We need one provider to do that.
“In terms of other areas we have already let two of the housing contracts - the gas servicing and the window replacement - to local companies.”
Earlier this year the city council let a £9m contract to fix the boilers of council homes to Gasway, based on the Sweet Briar Industrial Estate in Norwich.
And a contract was handed to Anglian Windows so a scheme to replace windows in council homes across the city could carry on.
Mr Waters said: “We did learn from the experience with Connaught and we are looking at the most efficient way of going forward.
“We are expecting high standards and good value for money for the residents of Norwich.
Construction union UCATT (Union of Construction, Allied Trades and Technicians) is still pursuing employment tribunal cases for unfair dismissal, failure to transfer and failure to inform and consult on behalf of 125 members.
The union scored a victory last month when they won pay-outs at an employment tribunal for 192 workers in Merseyside who had been employed by Connaught on a housing maintenance and repairs contract.
dan.grimmer@archant.co.uk
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7 comments
Well done UCATT in their quest for justice for former Connaught workers. Best wishes to all Norwich former Connaught workers in their forthcoming tribunals. Make the Bankers pay!
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Peter Watson
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Councils should not be landlords..period!!
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Albert Cooper
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
It is always easy to criticise and publicise apparent problems. But there are always two sides to any story. What about the satisfied customers?
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owllady
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Well I have had an ongoing issue with the council for over 4 years and there is no idea when things will be fixed once and for all. I challenged a member of staff at the council and said 'you have been submitted a bid by Lovells who carried out exactly the same kind of work in other blocks in my area so simply award them the contract?' His reply was 'we have to put this job out to tender and make sure companies are suitable for the work, and also must be cost effective' That is translated get everything cheap as possible. So lets see the cheapest option does not work Connaught proved that theory and I would expect another massive failing to happen and repairs do not get finished just as what happened with Connaught. Will this Council learn doing things on the cheap does not work, but then they are not affected by scaffolding partially blocking my front door !!!!
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chebram71
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Norwich City Council inspectors do not bother to inspect to check if work (repairs etc.) are carried out and completed correctly, why? No end of money wasted through not doing a job properly first time also to reasonable satisfaction of customer.
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Paul Platten
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
The city council is advertising for a single company to provide all the repair and maintenance services for Norwich’s 18,500 council tenants.________Why a single company. You would have thought that the jobsworths would have learnt that you spread the risks, but, they are not businessmen are they !
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Karl Hunter
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
I would like to know what is wrong with the way things are running at the moment? These long-term contracts seem fraught with problems, it’s either that or bring the work back in house.
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John L Norton
Wednesday, June 1, 2011