Deal struck for work to improve housing

Richmondshire District Council has joined forces with Connaught Partnerships Limited in the latest example of a local authority recruiting the private sector to help to provide key services and drive down costs.

The partnership will deliver the district council's five-year strategy to improve the properties, and there is an option to include maintenance work in the future.

Richmondshire District Council's housing spokesman, Coun Peter Wood, said: "By partnering with a large contractor like Connaught we can achieve a consistently high level of service for our tenants and better value for money – something that has been lacking in recent years.

"The company has experience of working in rural areas which is a big plus."

The deal with Richmondshire District Council follows a four-year partnership worth 28m which was recently announced between Connaught and Yorkshire Housing Limited.

This arrangement will involve investment, maintenance and repair works to more than 12,000 properties across North and West Yorkshire.

The operations director for Connaught Partnerships, Brendon Hutchinson, said: "Through existing partnerships, such as those with North Yorkshire County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, we have already demonstrated our understanding of the requirements of working in rural areas spread across a large area which will prove invaluable when working with Richmondshire.

"This, together with our commitment to utilising our directly employed locally based teams, will see tenants receiving the best possible customer service."