Agenda item

Simon Costigan (Chief Officer Property and Contracts) will be in attendance to give an overview of the service and make suggestions for the Boards next area of inquiry.

Simon Costigan attended to provide an overview of the repairs service. SC told the board as chief officer of Property and Contracts, he is responsible for the management of Capital Works, responsive repairs, investment strategy, and for the PFI stock. Repairs is a high priority for most tenants, and there are changes to be implemented as a result of the STAR survey results. The STAR survey has shown which areas have seen a drop in satisfaction and which demographics are more or less satisfied than others, so steps can be taken to ensure satisfaction remains high. Many factors can impact satisfaction, and though not all of them can be addressed at once, it is important to target change that can satisfy as many people as possible. SC noted that there are differences in the performance between the contractors Mears and LBS, and many aspects between them are compared but they do not always work to the same benchmarks.

The repairs service currently has an asset based approach to works, for example replacing all roofs in one timeframe, followed by windows and so on. SC suggested that this approach is revisited, with an understanding that the council stock are people’s homes, and there should be larger focus on the tenant’s priorities. Addressing tenant concerns such as fencing and the environment among other things might mean delaying some larger planned maintenance, but would increase the satisfaction of the tenants or improve their quality of life. This goal is not achievable straight away and requires consultation with tenants to hear what their concerns are, and how the works might be planned moving forwards.

The 116 high rise blocks across the city also require maintenance, with new investment required to achieve all the current aims. Work has already begun on installing new sprinkler systems in all blocks. Some of the outdated heating systems require updating too as the storage heaters are not the most efficient compared with newer systems. There is a higher demand for electricity than when the blocks were first built and so the infrastructure also needs adapting to meet tenants’ needs. All of these works should be delivered in the context of the current climate emergency, with improving energy efficiency a key factor in reducing carbon emissions in the city. Two blocks have been earmarked for demolition and rebuilding as this would be more cost-effective than carrying out all necessary infrastructure updates within the current building.

All property upgrades require the Property and Contracts team to be more IT literate, incorporating online bookings for repairs, advance notice of when a contractor will be attending a job, and live requests for stock/materials, made by contractors, to be delivered to the site where necessary. How the customers are engaged is an important part of the process, which SC will be discussing with VITAL in another meeting. SC finally told the board that the areas of the city covered by Mears and LBS is due for review before March 2021, and there is scope to increase the work completed by council staff as it helps to keep money within the council.

JG raised that previous discussions with technology suppliers had given the impression that the implementation of technology might not be moving as quickly as desired and asked what is currently implemented. SC replied that the Total Mobile system is in place for LBS, with work currently issued to operatives on PDA devices and texts sent to tenants ahead of repair appointments, however there are still developments that can be implemented. Ordering supplies to larger jobs now works online but ordering to smaller jobs still requires some development. JG asked how this might be resolved, SC replied that van stocks are being reviewed so that operatives have more of the items that are used more frequently in their vans. 

JG asked if there are now more repair jobs in East Leeds than there has been previously. SC replied that the amount of jobs and the areas they are completed in is being monitored, and performance in the areas can vary but that there is still some learning to be done from best practice.

SBa questioned how flats within high rise blocks require maintenance will be decided/prioritised. SC answered that currently a survey is undertaken on a number of properties in each block to determine if work should be carried out in all flats. As a part of the review, it may be better to survey each apartment and carry out any works based on the individual need of the property so that nobody has to have work completed that they didn’t want or need. JG followed up asking if the date of previous works is logged so that nothing is renovated twice in a short space of time, SC replied that it does, but that not all systems that use the data currently communicate with each other, however this should improve when the IT systems are more fully developed.

RI raised a concern that in her opinion the flats that are well maintained by their tenants do not get the same amount of improvements as the flats that are not well maintained. SC agreed that this is frequently raised as an issue, and that the new process will focus on what makes a difference to tenants when they move in which has commonly been regarded as new kitchens, however this is not always realistic and a kitchen does not need replacing each time a new tenant moves in. New benchmarks of what tenants might expect would be a good way to refresh the idea of repair works in void properties.

SC asked if the council is charged twice for repairs that are not completed correctly the first time and need to be completed again, and questioned if the council has the data for how many such cases there are. JG continued that previous investigations into repairs has revealed that Mears customers were given a card with a direct contact number and that the council would be unaware if a call was made. SC answered that the council is not charged twice, and that the data is available to the council. If there are instances where similar repairs are not completed first time or multiple within a similar area then an investigation into why that is the case can be carried out. Regarding the number of cases SC told the board that he would have to find out the figure and relay it back to the board in a future meeting.

SBa told the board of a case she was aware of a void property which had been repaired and let to a new tenant with floors that hadn’t been fully covered, for which the tenant was then told they were responsible for replacing. SC answered that it is difficult to comment on individual cases, and that the floor coverings vary based on the room in the property but in general kitchens and bathrooms are tiled and other rooms are not, however this property may have had underfloor heating which uses a different finish to other types of covering. SC offered to look into the case.

JG noted that comparing LBS and Mears is difficult due to the different recording metrics. SC answered that the comparison is made by the schedule of rates, which shows how long each job should take compared to how long it actually took, but the two companies have different schedules. Work is underway to have both companies use the same timing system so like for like jobs can be compared, eliminating this difference.

SBu asked if the council follow up on repairs after they are completed, SC replied that follow up surveys are given to a sample of customers, and that if any issues become apparent from the responses then work can be taken to address the problem.

JG asked how many high rise blocks have had new sprinklers installed, SC replied that it is a rolling program and though he was unsure of the current number he can return that figure to the board. There is still work to be completed and more investment required. JG asked if there had been any government funding for the installation, SC replied there had not been as the funding was only available for installation in blocks that had similar cladding to Grenfell Tower, but no block in Leeds has such cladding.

JG raised a previous issue regarding the ability to hire certain tradespeople due to salary competition from other jobs and businesses. SC replied that it is an issue as workers often prefer short term contracts, but there is a regular advertisement out for tradespeople and there are currently 40 electrical apprentices who are on their second of three years on the program. There are currently 42 vacancies to fill but there are rolling interviews so new workers can be employed relatively quickly to fill these positions.

JG questioned if the progress that has been made with Mears would revert if the contract was awarded to another company in 2021. SC replied that it is a risk as there would be with any new contract, but the council know their expectations and there would be a mobilisation period to ensure any new supplier would be up to speed if a new contractor was brought in.

JG asked if the boundaries of using Mears in East Leeds is set in stone or whether that is possible to change, SC replied that it is a legacy issue with the boundary carried over from the ALMOs, but there is no set reason for it to continue that way. Any changes should be easy to understand and in line with ward and housing management boundaries to ensure customers know who should be dealing with their repair. JG asked if the two contractors work together on out of hours repairs, SC answered that both contractors still pick up the jobs in their respective areas on most occasions, with some jobs in East Leeds undertaken by LBS where appropriate.

JG thanked SC for his attendance and input.