Private housing repair companies have left behind “shoddy workmanship” in council tenants’ homes, according to the mayor of Tower Hamlets.
Lutfur Rahman said he believed Tower Hamlets Council’s housing repair service was “not fit for purpose” after visiting tenants’ homes – singling out contractor Mears for criticism.
Rahman said: “The repair service needs to be sorted out. I’m still getting concerns about Mears – the work.
“I’m going to people’s houses and I see the conditions some of those houses are [in], the flats are [in], when it comes to mould, condensation, when it comes to repairs. Still the repairs are not done properly.”
Rahman said that he’d found “absolutely terrible” workmanship at the Watts Grove blocks of flats in Bromley-by-Bow. He added that on a separate visit to Pauline House in Old Montague Street he found a kitchen worktop had been replaced in two different colours.
He did not say which contractors were responsible.
Rahman was speaking during a discussion on council housing complaints at a cabinet sub-committee meeting on Wednesday, 30th July.
A report to the committee said the timeliness and quality of repairs were the two main causes of complaints to the council that were upheld.
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The report said: “This was primarily due to delays in completing the repairs, not following through promised actions, poor quality of works, and failure to award compensation, which was reflective and proportionate to the issues identified.”
It added that the “decline in performance” in the service was due to “supply chain and resourcing issues amongst our contractors”.
Responding to Rahman’s complaints, the council’s corporate director of housing David Joyce said the council had adopted more “robust contract management”.
He said this had led Mears to put more resources into its service. But he noted that Mears was one of seven repairs contractors the council employs, and was “not the only one with issues”.
A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that housing maintenance companies are facing “challenges in recruiting and retaining skilled tradespeople”. They said many tradespeople are “opting for independent contracting due to greater flexibility and earning potential”.
However, the spokesperson said the council had implemented weekly performance reviews, targeted intervention sessions for specialist work, and detailed performance analysis to find areas for improvement.
The spokesperson said: “We recognise the impact that delays and inconsistent repair quality can have on our residents, and we’re taking steps to improve.
“We’re committed to delivering a more responsive and reliable repairs service, and we’re working closely with residents to better understand their experiences.”
Mears did not respond directly to questions about concerns raised by Rahman or the council.
A Mears spokesperson said: “Mears is committed to providing the best possible repairs service for residents in Tower Hamlets.
“We are proud of the work our dedicated teams do every day and remain focused on delivering a reliable, quality service in partnership with the council.”
