Despite the regular pronouncements from the Treasury about impending cut backs in the public sector, there is still very little real certainty about where these cuts will actually fall and how deep they will be.

In the social housing sector in particular, this is resulting in many providers holding back from awarding contracts or making any major investment commitments.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, window and door maintenance specialist Mila Maintenance is keen to point out to providers that by allocating the budgets which they do have into maintenance rather than replacement of windows and doors, they could meet their obligations to their tenants much more quickly and cost effectively and move out of the limbo state which has existed since before the election.

Dave Cooke, Projects Director at Mila Maintenance, says:  “We all recognise that the public sector will be deeply affected by the government’s need to reduce the deficit and there is no doubt that there will be cuts in capital spending. 

“However, there still remains an ongoing requirement for local authorities and social housing providers to ensure that the comfort, safety and security of their tenants is not compromised.

“We speak regularly to local authorities who have what they consider to be an urgent window replacement programme planned but who have no real indication as to whether the funds for that will be forthcoming.

“Rather than wait for an indeterminate length of time and risk not being able to go ahead in the end, we would argue that it would be better for them to commit just a small portion of that money to effective refurbishment of the windows which are already in place.

“Typically, window refurbishment can cost just 10% of replacement and the outcome for tenants can be just as positive.  Mila Maintenance can, for example, replace broken or damaged hardware, replace leaking gaskets, fit more efficient sealed units and update safety and security fittings to bring damaged or inefficient windows and doors right up to modern standards.

“Replacement may be the knee jerk reaction when faced with windows and doors which are failing but in these straightened and uncertain times, it is important to consider the alternatives.

“Everything which we learnt under the last government about the benefits of Best Value still holds true and very often maintenance rather than replacement is the Best Value solution.”

Mila Maintenance carries out window and door maintenance programmes for local authorities and housing associations across the UK.  Further information is available at: www.milamaintenance.co.uk