Council leader threatens to ‘sack’ contractor unless improvements made to repairs service

However, Mr Callaghan said the council is investing an extra £16m into repairs and maintenance of its homes “due to the diabolical state” the service “finds itself in”.

He added: “We all know, as members, that the current performance of the council’s largest contractor is not acceptable. 

“Repairs are taking too long and they are botched. So while I am investing more in the repairs service, I want to be clear with the public: if drastic improvements to the service have not been made and outcomes improved for residents by Christmas 2025, I will sack Morgan Sindall.”

The contract with Morgan Sindall covers repairs, planned and cyclical maintenance programmes, improvement works, gas servicing, repairs and boiler renewals to 10,000 domestic gas heating systems.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Morgan Sindall Property Services said: “We are disappointed in the comments by councillor Gavin Callaghan, as this is not reflective of the service we provide to over 12,000 homes in Basildon.

 “In 2024, we delivered nearly 40,000 repairs to residents. In the same year, 98% of emergency repairs were completed in a 24-hour period.

“Our operatives and customer team, many of which are Basildon residents, are dedicated and passionate about the service we deliver, working closely with residents to fix their issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“It is clear from the comments raised, we need to engage further with local councillors and residents and are doing this through the ward committee forums and our weekly resident drop-in sessions. 

“We are aware that there are improvements to be made and we are actively working with Basildon Council to streamline processes to positively impact the service for residents.”

Last year, Hammersmith and Fulham Council revealed that its responsive repairs and maintenance contract with Morgan Sindall Property Services was ending almost a year early following a backlog.

At the time, Patrick Boyle, managing director at Morgan Sindall Property Services, said: “We have taken the mutual decision to end the repairs contract and will ensure a smooth transition through to the new arrangements to deliver these services.”