New £33M tenant-designed repairs service rolled out

A new improved £33 million repairs service is being rolled out to thousands of tenants and factored homeowners across Wheatley Group communities in the west of Scotland.

Tenants and homeowners shape service

It follows Wheatley, Scotland’s leading housing, care and property management group, becoming earlier this year the joint owner with Glasgow City Council of City Building (Glasgow).

The new venture is providing repairs, maintenance and investment work to Wheatley’s social landlords in the west of Scotland – GHA, Cube and Loretto Housing – as well as the Group’s mid-market commercial subsidiary, Lowther Homes, and its property management company, YourPlace.

Tenant feedback has shaped the new repairs model, with pathfinder pilots being carried out across Glasgow and neighbouring areas to find out what tenants wanted.

Gordon Sloan, the new chair of City Building (Glasgow), said: “Tenants are telling us what they want – a responsive, efficient and more locally-based repairs service – and that’s just what we are providing.”

Mr Sloan, the former Chair of GHA, Scotland’s largest social landlord, added: “The new venture enables Wheatley to be even better equipped to match and exceed customers’ needs and expectations.

“It is exciting watching the new service being rolled out and hearing the positive early feedback we are receiving from tenants and factored homeowners.”

The new venture, which employs 2000 staff, is responsible for Wheatley’s annual housing repairs budget of £33 million and an annual investment budget of £27M, as well as £30M of repairs annually for Glasgow City Council.

Councillor Greg Hepburn, Vice-Chair of City Building (Glasgow), said: “This new venture with Wheatley Group will only serve to strengthen our economic and social contributions, as we work in partnership with its management team to grow and deliver improved services for the people of Glasgow.”

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Friday, September 15, 2017