This Voids project for the London Borough of Hillingdon (LBH), was awarded to us in 2019 and commenced in April 2020 for an initial period of 3 +1 years. In 2024 we re-secured the contract for a further 5+1+1 years at £1.9m pa via a competitive tender process.

PiLON has been appointed to bring LBH’s void properties back to a lettable standard, including minor and major works, both internal and external. This also includes some occupied works post-tenant move-in. Key tasks include:

• • Electrical testing & remedial works
  • Windows & doors repairs/ replacements
  • Kitchens & bathrooms installations
  • Plumbing, plastering, and flooring renewals
  • Damp proofing & passive fire prevention
  • External works: guttering, garden maintenance, pavement repairs, shed demolition

“Of all the contractors I have encountered in my 27 years at Hillingdon, I can confidently say that Pilon have been the easiest to work with, always proactive and accommodating. A credit to the industry.”

Greg Breneau, Electrical Lead Operative, Qualifying Supervisor & Principal Duty Holder, Hillingdon Council

The target response times to complete the works range from 2 days for small works, increasing to 10 days for major works.  We have consistently excelled in meeting our KPIs on this contract, including:

• 1st time handover
• Completion time
• Snagging
• Late variation requests
• Electrical certificates issued within 48 hours of receiving jobs order
• Asbestos reports submitted within 72 hours
• Health & Safety incidents and formal complaints.

Our most significant challenge was at the beginning of the works, where we covered both geographical lots of the contract to support the other contractor during their mobilisation. As such, we delivered £1.25m in the first year against the estimated value of the contract at that time of £0.8m scaling up to meet their demand. Additionally, on occasions works have been requested by LBH which are over and above the ‘Letting Standard for Void Properties’ to improve the quality of homes for residents.

Contracts Manager Ionut Ruscan has been leading the delivery of the programme since 2020 and says:

“We’re pleased to continue our partnership with the London Borough of Hillingdon for another 7 years. Together, we’ve successfully tackled challenges and consistently met key targets. We value this collaboration and are committed to maintaining high standards for both Hillingdon and its residents in the years ahead.”