Kier has extended its repairs and maintenance contract with Barnsley Council for another five years with Berneslai Homes Construction Services.
The extension, which was approved by Barnsley Council’s cabinet members, has a value to Kier of £55 million over the five years.
PRIP carries out all repairs and maintenance works to 19,000 homes on behalf of Barnsley Council and since it was established in 2010, tenant satisfaction with repairs and maintenance has increased to 98%.
The contract extension follows a robust review by Barnsley Council, where performance and value for money were some of the key subjects, and also included members of the Barnsley Federation of Tenants and Residents.
As part of the new contract, Kier has committed to further developing its Employment and Skills Training Programme, which will increase the number of apprentices employed by the programme by 25%. This adds to the partnership’s existing policy of investing heavily in the training and development of local people.
It currently employs 21 apprentices and holds over 4,000 training events per year for staff engaging with local communities to deliver training and education programmes. Of the 366 people directly employed by PRIP, 80% of them live within the borough, which brings an estimated £7.4m into the local economy each year.
Phil Oades, Kier operations director, said: “It is extremely rewarding to secure this extension with Barnsley Council, following the past five years of successfully working together. The extension means we can further deepen and develop our partnership with Berneslai Homes and the Council to deliver an even more efficient service to tenants across Barnsley.”
Cllr Roy Miller, cabinet spokesperson for Place, said: “Barnsley Council is delighted to continue its partnership with Kier and Berneslai. They have delivered an excellent service to our customers over the past four years and are committed to improving both the economic prosperity of this town, and its residents, by using local labour and supplies wherever possible.”