Drop-in event designed to respond to tenant feedback
Residents, councillors and council staff in Lewes were given an opportunity to speak directly with the contractors now delivering the council’s housing repairs and maintenance services at a recent drop-in event held at Marine Workshops.
The event was organised in response to requests from Tenants of Lewes District (TOLD), which asked for an opportunity to meet the firms responsible for carrying out work in residents’ homes and neighbourhoods. Lewes District Council said the meeting allowed tenants to learn more about the services now in place and to raise questions about the support available.
“We have received lots of positive feedback from residents and staff about the new repairs and maintenance arrangement, which is very encouraging so soon after its launch. These contracts were shaped with input from tenants, so it’s essential that the services reflect what they told us.”
The quotation above is from Mark Slater, the council’s Cabinet Member for Tenants and those in housing need, who said the drop-in was an example of the authority responding to resident feedback and building working relationships with contractors.
New contract structure introduced after retendering
Lewes District Council introduced the new arrangements in April following a review and retendering of its repairs and maintenance contracts. The model appoints a single main contractor for general repairs, voids and emergency works, supplemented by specialist contractors for specific areas of work and an enhanced in‑house service for caretaking and handyperson support.
The council identified tenant and councillor representatives as contributors to the procurement process through workshops, and said that those sessions helped shape the decision to use a combined model of a main contractor alongside specialist providers.
Who was appointed
Lewes District Council named MD Group as the main contractor responsible for repairs, voids and emergency services. The council also confirmed one specialist contractor by name:
- MD Group — main contractor for repairs, voids and emergency works
- Sonny Maintenance Limited — appointed to provide aids and adaptations services
The council said other specialist contractors were appointed to cover roofs, windows, drainage, fencing, aids and adaptations, and damp and mould, but did not list all names in its statement. It also emphasised the role of an enhanced in-house caretaking and handyperson service intended to support residents directly.
Local consequences and expectations
Council leaders framed the drop-in as part of a wider effort to ensure accountability and responsiveness in the wake of the contract changes. The presence of councillors, tenants’ representatives and council officers at the Marine Workshops event underlined the authority’s desire to maintain an open channel of communication while the new arrangements settle.
For tenants, the key aims are clarity about who is delivering specific services, easier access to information about repairs, and reassurance that issues such as emergency works, void properties and specialist problems (for example damp or roof repairs) will be addressed promptly and to an acceptable standard. The council’s early announcement of positive feedback suggests some residents have already noticed changes, though the long-term effectiveness of the arrangements will be judged by service performance and continued tenant engagement.
What happens next
The council signalled that it will continue to engage tenants as the contracts mature. Drop-in events provide a forum for direct questions and for contractors to explain scheduling, contact routes and escalation processes. The council’s approach of combining a lead contractor with specialist providers and enhanced in-house capacity aims to balance efficiency with local responsiveness — but residents and councillors will be watching how that balance functions in practice.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event | Drop-in for tenants to meet appointed contractors at Marine Workshops |
| Introduced | April (new contract model launched) |
| Main contractor | MD Group (repairs, voids, emergency works) |
| Named specialist | Sonny Maintenance Limited (aids and adaptations) |
Residents who want to follow progress are advised to keep in touch with Tenants of Lewes District and the council’s housing team for information about future engagement activities and reporting routes for repairs and maintenance issues.
