Trust awards contracts for home improvements

09 June 2010

We've awarded a new electrical improvement contract to a local company.

In a move to further improve the quality of its 11,000 homes, Shropshire's largest social landlord has awarded a new electrical improvement contract and extended a number of its other repairs and maintenance contracts with local companies.

Following a competitive tendering process, The Wrekin Housing Trust has awarded Telford based The Dodd Group a five-year electrical improvement contract. As part of the Trust's 2010-2015 planned electrical improvement programme, The Dodd Group will be working on the Trust's domestic properties in Shropshire and the Midlands, undertaking periodic electrical testing as well as upgrades and rewiring work.

The Trust has also extended contracts with two Shrewsbury based businesses. A flat roofing contract with Cooper & Williams Ltd and a wall
re-pointing contract with R.E. Brown Ltd for twelve months.

The contracts form part of the Trust's planned improvement programme and their commitment to housing stock improvement. The Trust, who completed the Decent Homes target nine months ahead of schedule, will continue to invest more than £9 million per year to ensure homes meet the expectations of tenants who live in them.

David Hall, Head of Asset Management at The Trust said: "We were pleased with the response to the tender process and that fact that the contracts will help Shropshire business and the wider Shropshire economy. All applications were assessed by both Trust officers and tenants, with a thorough review including written applications, face to face presentations and reality-check site visits."

Matt Lewis, Group Operations Director at The Dodd Group said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this new contract as it will allow us to extend our long term relationship with The Wrekin Housing Trust and build on both companies commitment to providing tenants across Shropshire with a first class service."


' - Ends -

Notes to Editor
The Decent Homes Standard was introduced by the Government in July 2001 and reviewed again in 2006 to create a minimum standard of housing across all registered social and housing providers. The target for making sure homes are made decent is the 31st December 2010. In March 2010, all of the Trust's housing stock met the Decent Homes Standard. A decent home is defined as one that meets all of the following four conditions:

· It meets the statutory minimum standard for housing
· It is in a reasonable state of repair
· It has reasonable modern facilities and services
· It provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort.

The Wrekin Housing Trust currently improves homes to a higher standard than the Decent Homes Standard, as our standards have been continuously improved through consultation with tenants and learning from surveys and customer feedback, and has invested over £100 million in its homes across Shropshire in the last 10 years.

For more information on this press release, please contact Colette Bratton on 01952 217038 or email colette.bratton@wrekinhousingtrust.org.uk


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