'Budget pressures' force major change to how Stoke-on-Trent's 17,500 council houses repaired
A council has confirmed that its housing repairs service is being moved back in-house. Unitas, a company wholly-owned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, has been responsible for maintaining the authority's 17,500 homes and 600 public buildings since 2018.
But council leaders have now decided that the service will be moved back under the direct control of the council. The decision was taken in a behind-closed-doors meeting of the cabinet last month.
Cabinet members were told about 'the emerging pressures on the service and the challenges facing the council' and agreed the recommendations of a report. The council says that new laws which came after the Grenfell tragedy have increased demands on Unitas and resulted in 'increasing budgetary pressures'.
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But the details of the cabinet report have not been made public, and opposition councillors have previously called for more transparency on the issue. An internal team has been appointed to manage the 'sensitive' transition of Unitas staff, and the council says workers will be kept informed.
The council also says that housing repairs will continue 'as normal' while the transition takes place.
Council leader Jane Ashworth, said: "Tenants have told us that they want to see improvements in our housing repairs and maintenance service which has been managed by Unitas Ltd since 2018. While the arrangement with Unitas has been broadly successful, new government regulation, which outlines landlords’ responsibilities to meet new, higher standards and be accountable for all aspects of service delivery, has resulted in challenges relating to investment which has put even more pressure on our over-stretched budget.
“The decision has now been made to bring these services back into the council where we can exercise more direct oversight and ensure that tenants get the service they deserve. We know people are waiting too long to get the phone answered and for jobs to be done but we are committed to improving the quality of our housing service.
"Going forward we will be taking a ‘repairs done right, first time’ approach, coupled with improved customer service and a proactive maintenance program that means common housing issues are fixed before they become a problem for residents including damp and mould."
Unitas, which has its own board and director, was launched under the council's previous City Independent-Conservative coalition in 2018. Around 500 workers were transferred from previous contractor Kier Stoke, a joint venture between the council and the construction giant Kier.
Mark Freeth, interim director of Unitas, said: "Our commitment is always to provide a high-quality service that meets the needs of tenants and other customers. We will work closely with the council over the coming months to ensure a smooth and successful transition and look forward to engaging with colleagues, tenants and other stakeholders at all levels."