RESIDENTS of a Chester housing association have helped influence the decision to award a contract worth more than £750,000.

Muir Group Housing has signed a five-year deal with Sodexo after asking its customers what services they expected from the landscaping and grounds maintenance experts.

David Hull, Muir Group Housing regional manager, said: “Very early on in the process we asked our residents what was important to them in the delivery of this service.

“Since then our residents have been very heavily involved in selecting the best contractor for Muir Group Housing and we are keen to ensure this doesn’t stop now that the contract has been awarded. Residents have a key role to play in monitoring the performance of our contractors.”

From April 1, Sodexo will provide services ranging from grass and hedge cutting, shrub bed maintenance and weed control to the upkeep of paved, flagged and concreted areas for Muir Group Housing’s properties and schemes across Cheshire and Lancashire.

This will include all the association’s homes in Chester including its sheltered and supported housing schemes Dee House, Panton Road, Rowlands Lodge, Cornwall House, Gorse Hill and Tweedsmuir.

Featuring in the recent Sunday Times Top 100 Best Small Companies to Work For and rated as ‘Outstanding’ by Best Companies, Muir Group Housing owns nearly 5,000 properties nationwide.

The partnership will see Sodexo locate four specially trained teams at depots across the North West – creating eight new jobs within the first twelve months.

During a six-month procurement process, the views of residents were sought at every stage.

This involved a variety of consultation methods from an initial ‘Hearts and Minds’ workshop where residents and stakeholders were asked to help establish the key points of the tender to representation at a mid-tender brief and a site visit to a Sodexo project they felt best illustrated their suitability.

Sam Scott, director of housing services for Muir Group Housing, said: “Our aim is to improve the services to our residents and demonstrate that we are getting value for money.

“We are entering into a long-term partnership with Sodexo and as a result we will be able to improve the appearance of our neighbourhoods and enhance services to our residents.”