'We must work harder repairing homes in Basildon'

Gavin Callaghan, leader of Basildon Borough Council, said housing issues were a "red flashing light" he wanted to get under control

A council leader has insisted both the authority and its contractors must "work much harder" on repairing homes.

Basildon Borough Council's Gavin Callaghan said half of the complaints he received related to construction firm Morgan Sindall.

His comments followed the Housing Ombudsman finding the Essex council had overseen three cases of maladministration in relation to complaints in 2023/24.

A spokesman for Morgan Sindall said it was "committed to improving the quality service provided to residents".

A total of £2,400 in compensation was paid out over the past year in response to complaints including dampness, mould and repair disputes.

"When you look at the number of complaints that are coming into the council, you see they predominantly relate to Morgan Sindall and to repairs," Callaghan said in a Facebook Live broadcast.

"For me that was a red light flashing that we needed to get on top of."

The Labour councillor said he had met bosses from Morgan Sindall and together they had drawn up a priority list of areas to "work much harder on".

The company maintains 12,500 homes across Basildon, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In response to Callaghan's remarks, the company said improvements were being made to its efficiency, repair response times and how complaints were handled.

"As a partnership with the council, our priority is to work together on continually listening, reviewing and enhancing the service we provide to residents, so they can live in comfortable, healthy homes," a spokesman added.