Trio scoops £2bn Birmingham housing repairs job

Three contractors have been appointed to deliver a £2bn housing repairs programme for Birmingham City Council over the next decade.

From July 2026, Equans, Wates and Mears will take responsibility for day-to-day repairs, planned maintenance such as kitchen and bathroom upgrades, and the refurbishment of empty properties across the city’s 60,000 council homes.

The contracts run for 10 years, with an option to extend for a further five.

Equans will manage around 17,000 homes in the east of Birmingham. Wates will cover the north and south of the city, while Mears will be responsible for homes in the central and west areas.

The appointment follows a procurement process shaped by tenant feedback and will support the council’s £200m-a-year housing investment programme.

New digital systems will be introduced to track property condition, improve communication with tenants and allow greater flexibility in scheduling appointments.

Birmingham City Council cabinet member for housing and homelessness Nicky Brennan said the new model would help deliver “a more flexible and responsive service”.

Equans has been a strategic partner of the council since 2015.

Jake Fellows, regional managing director at Equans UK & Ireland, said the 10-year extension recognised “the success of our relationship and high-quality service delivery”.

The new contracts are expected to help the council meet the Government’s Decent Homes Standard by 2032. In the past year, 35,000 improvement works have been completed across 6,000 homes.

Sources: Birmingham City Council/Equans announcement