The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has collapsed the tender process for two major frameworks.

The planning maintenance framework was formally collapsed on Friday, 25 January, adding to the recent fall of the window and doors framework.

Both frameworks represent over £1 billion total in the HE's stock over the coming years.

The Construction Employers Federation and the Federation of Master Builders have expressed serious concern about the collapses.

In a statement, both organisations said: "These procurement collapses call into question the deliverability of planned maintenance across the Housing Executive's estate over the coming six months, at least, meaning there could be a drastic curtailing of the maintenance required to people's homes all over Northern Ireland.

-- Advertisement --

"When taken together, these frameworks represent over £1bn of investment in the Housing Executive's stock over the coming years. At a time when the Housing Executive is faced with a major shortfall in their available budget against their actual maintenance need, this is a situation that no-one can afford – indeed it is a situation that we believe could and should have been avoided if procurement issues that had arisen had been dealt with in a pro-active and timely manner.

"It is a matter of absolute urgency that the Housing Executive inform the market, and indeed their tenants, on what their next steps are with respect to the procurement of both frameworks. A significant amount of public money has undoubtedly been spent in dealing with legal issues in recent months which have meant this issue can only be publicly aired now. Lessons need to be learnt from the collapsing of both procurements and we need those lessons to be learnt immediately."

(CM/MH)