Triple celebration for Unitas

A repair and maintenance company which has successfully carried out more than 400,000 repairs since 2018 is marking three huge milestones in 2023.

Unitas – Stoke-on-Trent City Council’s wholly-owned repairs and maintenance company – has seen its existing contract with the city council extended for a further five years.

This means the company will continue to carry out repairs and maintenance services across more than 17,000 council-owned houses and public buildings until 2028.

The latest agreement comes as Unitas marks its fifth anniversary on Friday 3 February.

In its first five years Unitas has delivered:

• 408,999 responsive repairs completed, including 40,911 emergency repairs;

• 5,971 void properties repaired and refurbished ready for new tenants;

• Invested over £91 million in planned maintenance and improvements, including:

• 2,112 new roofs;
• 2,425 new kitchens;
• 1,424 new bathrooms;
• 2,491 new boilers;
• 4,485 new front and rear doors; and
• six sprinkler systems in high rise flats and medium rise flats.

• Works on public buildings including:

• Transforming an empty warehouse into a Covid Vaccination Centre in eight days for the roll out of the first vaccinations;
• Creating a selfie wall and undertaking large landscaping works at the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery in seven weeks for the D-Day Celebrations.

Councillor Abi Brown, Leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “We have been extremely impressed with the services Unitas has provided us with over the last five years, across our housing stock and public buildings portfolio.

“So it gives me great pleasure to be able to confirm that we have decided to extend our agreement with Unitas for a further five years.

“I’m looking forward to working with the team over the coming years and would like to thank everyone for their contribution in making the company such a huge success.”

Over the next five years, Unitas plans to develop a new and exciting business plan which will set out how, by working with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, it will collectively grow the business.

To support the company’s ambitions for growth, Unitas is also welcoming Stephen Garner as company director from Tuesday 11 April.

Stephen, who is currently the assistant director of property (repairs and maintenance) at Together Housing Group, has an extensive background in housing with a career working across local authorities and housing providers.

Stephen said: “It’s a very exciting time to be joining the organisation and I’m really pleased to have been appointed as the new Director of Unitas. I am looking forward to meeting teams across the business and leading the organisation forward when I join in April. 

“The extension of our service agreement with the city council is testament to all the hard work and commitment the team has provided over the past five years and it provides Unitas with a solid foundation to build from.  

“Improving what we do, collectively growing as a business whilst supporting the council, our customers and the communities in which we operate will be a key factor to our future success.”