In a meeting held on 3 November 2025, Haringey Council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, Councillor Sarah Williams, approved a contract for planned preventative maintenance and responsive repairs for communal water boosters and pumps. The meeting also included a discussion of exempt information related to the contract, which led to the exclusion of the press and public.

Communal Water Booster/Pumps Contract

Councillor Sarah Williams approved the award of a contract for planned preventative maintenance and responsive repairs for communal water boosters and pumps to Contractor A, starting 1 October 2025, for a duration of six years. The maximum contract value is £900,000 plus inflation, covering planned maintenance, responsive repairs, and capital replacements.

The council considered three alternative options:

1. Doing nothing, which was rejected because it would result in loss of water and sewage/drainage issues due to lack of repairs and maintenance and would lead to health and safety issues and failure to meet decent homes standards.
2. Using internal resources, which was rejected due to a lack of qualified staff and specialist equipment.
3. Extending the existing contract, which was not possible under current contractual arrangements and procurement rules.

The report noted that across Haringey there are communal pumps which service the housing stock with regard to cold water booster pumps, sump/sewage pumps and surface water pumps, and that these are vital to ensure the safe, healthy and constant supply of fresh water and removal of foul and excess surface water drainage. It is a statutory requirement to maintain these assets and repair or replace when required to ensure compliance with regulation and bye-laws.

The contract was procured via the London Construction Programme (LCP) Minor Works Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS)¹. Although only one bid was received, from Contractor A (later named in the report as Sureserve Compliance Water Ltd), the council was satisfied with their knowledge, experience, and pricing, which compared favourably to the rates in the current contract and market trends.

The council's strategic procurement team supported the recommendation, noting that Sureserve Compliance Water Ltd had demonstrated competence in the delivery of this service in the past, ensuring a seamless transition into a new contract. They also noted the social value commitment from Sureserve Compliance Water Ltd, which would benefit the project and wider community.

The Director of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer), Fiona Alderman, confirmed that there were no legal reasons preventing the Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning from approving the recommendations in the Planned Preventative Maintenance, Responsive Repairs Compliance for Communal Water Booster/ Pumps Contract report.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The Cabinet Member Signing agreed to exclude the press and public from the remainder of the meeting because item 8 on the agenda contained exempt information. This information was defined under paragraph 3, Part 1, Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, relating to the financial or business affairs of a particular person, including the authority holding that information. The Agenda frontsheet stated that the exempt information also included information in respect of which a claim to legal professional privilege could be maintained in legal proceedings.

Exempt Award of Contract

The Cabinet Member considered the exempt information related to the award of contract for planned preventative maintenance, responsive repairs compliance for communal water booster/pumps, and approved the recommendations.