Kier and Harlow Council have announced an extension of the Kier Harlow Ltd contract to 31 January 2017 following a special meeting of Harlow Council's cabinet.

The £82.6m revised contract will see Kier Harlow continue to deliver its repairs and maintenance service to Harlow's 12,000 tenants and leaseholders, as well as provide environmental services including street cleansing, landscaping, grounds maintenance, graffiti and fly tipping removal.

Kier Harlow is the joint venture company between Kier and Harlow Council set up in 2007 to carry out work including building repairs to social housing stock and the maintenance of Harlow's open spaces. The revised contract will save Harlow Council £4.41m over the next five years – equivalent to a 5.1% reduction in the cost of the contract – through back office savings and restructuring.


The contract extension also includes a major new package of measures to keep Harlow's streets and public areas clean, including the establishment of a new team to clean up litter hot spots, remove dog fouling and clear overgrown brambles. The new four-person reactive environment team is part of a £670,000 investment in Harlow's public spaces and will create four new jobs.

Harlow Council portfolio holder for resources, Cllr Simon Carter, said: "This is a great value-for-money deal for Harlow residents, which will put hundreds of thousands of pounds more into keeping the town clean and green – while saving them money. The Council and Kier have worked hard over the past few months to broker this deal as two partners working together.

"Kier Harlow will continue to offer a responsive and high standard service for building repairs and maintenance, placing our customers at the centre of our activities. We will be working more closely than ever with tenant and leaseholder representatives to see that their priorities are met."

(CD/GK)