City West and LMH have the foresight to deliver

TWO North West housing associations that have had the foresight to deliver more for less in a climate where the demands on public sector spending are set to increase have launched a new procurement partnership.

City West Housing Trust and Liverpool Mutual Homes have joined forces to establish the 4Site Partnership in a bid to reduce costs and improve services.

The 4Site Partnership is a tried and tested tendering process for housing associations, arm’s length management organisations and local authorities who are looking to procure construction consultants and architects for development projects.

The two landlords have demonstrated that by working together in this way they have been able to increase their buying power and reduce costs – allowing them to invest more cash back into their communities from the savings made.

The 4Site Partnership is now expanding and has launched nationally to providers of social housing – enabling their colleagues in the social housing sector to cash in on the savings to be made by working in this way.

Together City West and LMH have involved tenants in jointly procuring, through the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) compliant process, two innovative framework agreements. A Consultants Framework for the provision of project management and construction related consultancy services and an Architects Framework to provide architectural services.

Colette McKune, Director of Asset Management at City West Housing Trust, said: “These comprehensive framework agreements, with a range of North West-based and national consultants and architects, have been procured to deliver extensive programmes of improvements to social housing to the satisfaction of tenants, safely, on time, within budget and to an agreed level of quality.

“Having experienced the significant benefits of working in this way, we have now made these frameworks available to other housing organisations and local authorities. We believe that by working in collaboration and combining our collective buying power, we can achieve value for money.”

Steve Coffey, Chief Executive for Liverpool Mutual Homes, added: “We are not necessarily looking to find the cheapest, but those who can provide best value for money. By combining the purchasing power of organisations to enhance the benefits from a reduction in the cost of goods or services can be proven to result in staggering cost efficiencies across the board. Any savings can then be re-invested.”

City West has already saved a staggering £2.5 million because of the deal – a saving of nine percent compared to the proposed costs of its Decent Homes Improvement programme.

The 4Site Partnership can now be used to appoint consultants and architects for specific projects.

City West manages more than 14,500 properties in west Salford, whilst LMH looks after 16,000 homes in Merseyside. The housing associations are currently delivering a total of £635 million worth of investment to improve properties across the two cities.

For more information or to join the 4Site Partnership email 4site@citywest.org.uk.