Housing association Accent Peerless has extended its £1.8 million annual turnover repairs and maintenance contract with housing repairs specialist Lovell until 2014.

Lovell has been providing repairs and maintenance services for Accent Peerless since 2010, when it stepped in at short notice after the collapse of the Connaught maintenance business.

Lovell looks after Accent Peerless's entire stock of 3,600 homes in Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Kent, South London and West Sussex providing repairs and maintenance services including out-of-hours services, refurbishment of void homes and the operation of the repairs call centre.


The contract, originally due to end in March 2013, has been extended for a further 12 months after Lovell achieved a step change in service delivery. The company has driven up customer satisfaction rates with repairs from 64 per cent, at the time it took over the service, to 100 per cent in March 2012.

In partnership with Accent Peerless, Lovell is set to continue improving services for residents and leaseholders through initiatives including greater involvement of residents and the creation of more local employment and apprenticeship training opportunities. This will include six apprenticeship training places set to be created by Lovell by the end of the contract.

Paddy Mooney, managing director at Accent Peerless, says: "Our Board is happy to extend its contract with Lovell based on the improvements in customer services which have been delivered so far and the additional changes planned which are set to achieve further improvements. Those changes demonstrate a strong commitment to Accent Peerless's customers."

The planned enhancements include a commitment by Lovell to complete more repairs on the first visit.

(CD/GK)