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Kier has secured a £225 million contract with Somerset Council to deliver core maintenance services across its entire road network.
The eight-year contract, which comes with an opportunity to extend for a further four years, will commence 1 April 2024, and covers key maintenance works – including road repairs, drainage, verge cutting and winter service, such as gritting and other emergency functions in adverse weather.
The contract award is part of the council’s focus on refreshing its maintenance services to improve their efficiency, cost-effectiveness and innovation, whilst being more resilient to climate change with a reduced carbon output.
Kier will deliver core maintenance across the 4,172-mile road network, delivering general repairs and helping the county’s roads to remain resilient to extreme weather. There will be an additional focus on reducing the carbon output of these works, in support of the council’s aim to become carbon neutral by 2030.
James Birch, Managing Director, Kier Transportation’s Highways Operations & Maintenance said: “This announcement marks the start of a long-term, collaborative partnership with Somerset Council. We look forward to delivering an efficient, high-quality service for customers – with a strong, environmental approach and commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in the communities we work.
“From April, the new service will unlock valuable career opportunities, including for graduates and apprentices, and we will be working with local supply chain partners to add value to the local economy – providing benefits to residents, road users and businesses in Somerset for years to come.”
Councillor Mike Rigby, Somerset Council’s Lead Member for Transport and Digital commented: “We’re really delighted to have Kier Transportation as our new partner maintaining our network – they met all our key criteria and have some exciting proposals about taking the service further in terms of carbon reduction, efficiency and maximising social value for our communities.
“This is a major refresh of our network maintenance services, something we’d not seen for 27 years, so we are committed to building in resilience to climate change, ensuring a safe, serviceable and sustainable network that is fit for purpose for all users and supports the growth of the local economy.”
Planned, proactive maintenance is a keystone of every FM strategy. However, with current cost constraints, there are many demands on Facilities Managers’ maintenance budgets. When it comes to drainage and plumbing, however, the expense of repairing blockages or dealing with flooding could vastly exceed the cost of preventative maintenance.
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