A nationwide company with almost 130 years of experience in property is set to take over maintenance of more than 30,000 council homes in Birmingham.
WPS, part of Wates Group, will deliver housing maintenance plus heating and compliance services to Birmingham City Council in a contract worth £1.1billion over ten years that will see significant investment in homes in the city.
The contract was awarded earlier this year and WPS will take over repairs from July.
As well as day-to-day repairs, WPS will carry out improvement work, void property management – preparing empty homes for new tenants – plus planned maintenance programmes such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades.
The work will also see heating and compliance services to ensure homes are kept safe and warm, delivered by Liberty – WPS’ specialist gas heating and renewable energy installation and servicing business.
WPS delivered maintenance for Birmingham homes between 2016 and 2022 and recently renovated the Inkerman House residential high-rise block.
Regional Managing Director for WPS, Gary Wilkinson said: “WPS maintains one in seven social homes nationally and with a strong presence in the Midlands, we’re looking forward to supporting communities in the area, as well as improving homes.
“This will include working with local organisations and supporting the City’s economy through our commitment to create skills and employment opportunities and create £120 million in total economic and social value over the course of the contract.”
Cllr Nicky Brennan, BCC Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at the time the contract was agreed said: “Birmingham City Council is investing more than £200 million a year to bring more council properties up to a better standard. We look forward to working with WPS to provide a repairs and maintenance service that will enable us to keep the pace of that investment, while providing tenants with a quality of service that they rightly expect and deserve.”