The Director of Housing Services, Michael Kelleher, approved the extension of the pest control services contract with London Network for Pest Solution Ltd. This decision ensures the continuation of essential pest control services for the borough's residents for another year.

Extension of Pest Control Services Contract

Michael Kelleher, Director of Housing Services, has approved the extension of the contract for pest control services provided by London Network for Pest Solution Ltd (LNPS) for a further year, from 1 February 2026 to 1 February 2027. This decision was made because the current contract delivers value for money and LNPS consistently meets its performance indicators. A failure to extend the contract would have led to a disruption in service, as there was insufficient time to re-procure a new contract before the existing one expired.

The extension will maintain the current service specification and contract sum, with an allowance for inflation (CPI) in line with the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Business Plan. The estimated cost for the one-year extension is £405,700, comprising £325,000 for the Housing Pest Control service funded from the HRA and £80,700 for the Domestic Rat Treatment Service funded from the General Fund. The full reprocurement of the contract will be necessary in 2027.

This decision supports the council's corporate plan priorities, including A Healthier Newham and Ageing Well by minimising pests which are linked to poorer health outcomes, Your Neighbourhood by maintaining sanitary residential and communal spaces, and Homes for our Residents by contributing to housing safety standards.

The original contract was directly awarded to LNPS in 2022, complying with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 (PCR). The extension is permissible under Regulation 72(1)(a) of the PCR and Council's Contract Standing Orders, as it was envisaged in the original procurement and suitable provisions were included in the contract.

The contract covers all of Newham's housing stock and therefore impacts residents with protected characteristics. The existing contract includes clauses to prevent unlawful discrimination and requires LNPS to demonstrate a policy for compliance with the Equality Act 2010, allowing the Council to monitor equality performance. Potential risks, such as barriers for elderly or disabled residents or language barriers, are to be mitigated through the contractor's adherence to these requirements.

The decision was taken by Michael Kelleher, Director of Housing Services, on 27 January 2026. The decision was notified to all Members on 11 February 2026. As this is a non-key decision with a financial value up to £500,000, it is publishable but not subject to call-in.

The relevant documents for this decision are the Public minutes 27th-Jan-2026 Officer Non-Key Decision, Agenda frontsheet 27th-Jan-2026 Officer Non-Key Decision, and Public reports pack 27th-Jan-2026 Officer Non-Key Decision.