Agenda item

[Report of the Director of Housing, Regeneration and Planning. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal.]

To seek approval for the appointment of the successful contractor to undertake refurbishment works to replace kitchens, bathrooms, electrics and other associated works  at properties boroughwide.

The Cabinet Member for Housing and Estate Renewal introduced the report which sought agreement to the award of a contract to enable internal improvement works to 300 dwellings in the Woodside, Stroud Green, Noel Park and Bounds Green area.

The proposed works would bring all homes up to the full Decent HomesStandard. The overall project will contribute towards achieving Haringey Council’s objectives to increase the number of homes achieving the Decent Homes Standard across the borough. This would ensure all homes were safe and improved resident satisfaction.

The Cabinet Member outlined that the overall population of these wards mirrored that seen in Haringey more widely. Households in areas like Bounds Green were more likely to be rented by social housing tenants than the average within the borough. However, areas such as Stroud Green have smaller proportion of social housing tenants and a slightly larger proportion of owner/occupiers. The wards in this area have a mixture of high -rise blocks and non-traditional dwellings.

In response to Councillor Cawley- Harrison’s questions on: the communication with residents about the proposed works, ensuring the quality of the works, compensation to any tenants for any works that fall below the required standard and potential vacation of properties of the works, the following information was provided by the Cabinet Member and Director for Broadwater Farm.

• There were no leasehold implications for these works.

• The impact of the Noel Park Pod consultation on improving communications  were that lessons were learned for future schemes . Homes for Haringey were considering the implications of the project in more detail and talking to residents more closely, and earlier about the works that were likely to be brought forward and the implications that they may have for the individual.

• An inhouse clerk of works which will ensure that they reviewed the finished works being completed on properties in North and South areas to ensure tenants were happy with the quality of work. There would be resident satisfaction surveys to make sure that works were completed to the right standard.

• In terms of compensation, Homes for Haringey would seek to rectify issues as part of any complaints that may emerge from the works. The initial response would be to identify, from residents, where work was not up to the required quality and bring this up to the right quality, checking that the resident was satisfied.

• A majority of internal works were completed without the need for the residents moving but the contract provides the opportunity for residents to leave properties where messy or disruptive works were happening during the day with provision of welfare facilities at particular times. The Resident Liaison Officers would facilitate those discussions with the contractor and tenant so there was an awareness at the start on the different elements of the works and the disruptions likely to be caused.

Further to considering the exempt information at item 27,

RESOLVED

1.    Pursuant to the Council’s Contract Standing Order (CSO) 9.07.1(d), to approve the award of a contract to the preferred contractor identified in exempt Appendix A to the report for the renewal of kitchen, bathroom and internal electrics in the Woodside, Stroud Green, Noel Park and Bounds Green areas. This will be for the sum of £2,354,041.

2.    To approve the issue of a letter of intent for an amount up to, but not exceeding £235,404 that represents 10% of the contract sum.

3.    To approve the professional fees of £230,719 that represents 9.801% of the contract sum.

4.    To approve the contingency sum set out in the exempt part of the report.

5.    To note the total project costs set out in the exempt part of the report.

Reasons for decision

Homes for Haringey requires Cabinet approval to award the contract for internal works to 300 dwellings in the Woodside, Stroud Green, Noel Park and Bounds Green areas. This will enable the essential internal works such asthe renewal of kitchens, bathrooms and internal electrics to progress. This is following a direct award in conjunction with Haringey Council’s Procurement team via the London Construction Programme (LCP) framework and processes.

The award process was carried out in accordance with the framework requirements that was based on price. LCP carried out quality evaluation when they tendered the framework. The successful contractor satisfied the requirements in relation to these criteria.

Alternative options considered

An alternative option would be for Homes for Haringey to either use third party industry frameworks or a standalone OJEU compliant tender process to deliver the works. Homes for Haringey sought support and advice from Haringey Strategic Procurement and determined the LCP framework as being the optimum route to the market. This was due to the speed of access to quality-checked contractors and focus on companies that concentrate their resources in the local area.

The option of not undertaking this work would leave Haringey Council open to residents’ disrepair challenges and complaints, because the properties need to be improved to meet the Decent Homes Standard.