Basildon Borough Council is set to end its relationship with Morgan Sindall as the contractor’s housing maintenance work “has not been good enough”.
The Essex authority threatened to terminate Morgan Sindall’s lucrative contract in February, with council leader Gavin Callaghan criticising the “diabolical state” of housing repairs.
Morgan Sindall Property Services was appointed to repair the council’s housing stock and corporate buildings in April 2016, in a deal worth up to £300m and spanning up to 15 years.
Callaghan previously said Morgan Sindall had until Christmas to make “drastic improvements” to its service or it would be sacked over repairs “taking too long” and being “botched”.
However, the council leader has now said Basildon Borough Council will not be renewing the deal with Morgan Sindall after the 10-year stage in June 2026.
“I have listened to tenants. I have visited homes. I have heard the frustration loud and clear: the repairs and maintenance service has not been good enough,” Callaghan wrote on Facebook.
“That is why I can confirm that when the contract with Morgan Sindall expires next June, Basildon Council will not be renewing it. We will be looking to bring the service back in-house and work on this will start immediately.”
The contract includes repair, maintenance and planned improvement works to the council’s housing stock, as well as gas servicing and boiler renewals for 10,000 domestic gas heating systems.
The deal is worth approximately £20m a year to Morgan Sindall but is set to end five years before its maximum length.
Callaghan said that the announcement was “not about blame” but instead about “accountability, fairness, and doing the right thing for Basildon”.
“When I took back control of this council last May, it was clear we had inherited a housing service that simply was not fit for purpose,” he added.
“This is about building a housing service where repairs get done, homes are safe and compliant, and tenants’ voices are heard. Change is coming.”
A spokesperson for Morgan Sindall Property Services said: “We are proud to have delivered the repairs and maintenance contract for Basildon Borough Council since 2016.
“Our priority now is to maintain our service to residents, alongside keeping employees, contractors and other stakeholders informed until the new arrangements are in place.”
In February, the contractor defended its work in Basildon but said it was aware that “there are improvements to be made”.
Read More
Will Ing