2023 - May, Our news

Meet Wates, they're your new repairs contractor in London and the South East!

A positive change is coming – and sooner than you think. We've listened to your feedback and have taken action quickly. We’re pleased to announce that from Friday 2 June, all new repairs reported to us in your area will be carried out by Wates. They already provide a good service to our residents in the Midlands, so we’re anticipating improvements to your service too.

Although the contractor we’re using is changing, this won’t affect the way you can report repairs to us. For an emergency repair, or otherwise, please call us on 0300 123 2221 to speak to our Repairs Hub. Or, if it’s not an emergency, you might consider giving us the details on My PA, which you can access 24/7 at mypa.pahousing.co.uk.

We know that your repairs service over the past 6 months, including the time is takes for you to get through on the phones, hasn’t been up to scratch, so we’re committed to getting it right. We’re sorry that it’s not been at the level any of us would have and we know how important it is for you to have a repair service that is prompt, that you trust and does the job well.

From Friday 2 June, when the new service goes live, our target is to ensure that over 90% of routine repairs are completed in 15 working days. We’ll also continue to attend to emergency repairs in 4 hours and complete them within 24 hours.

For gas repairs, which are not competed by Wates, if the repair is reported before 6pm we will attend the same day. If it is reported after 6pm it will be the next working day.

We know that there is still a backlog, so we’ll be contacting all residents with an overdue repair to rebook them to be completed as soon as possible. It is our aim to complete every outstanding repair by the end of August 2023.

A message from Gary Wilkinson, Regional Managing Director Wates Property Services

We’re delighted to be working with PA Housing to deliver the service in London and the South East. Wates have partnered with PA in the Midlands for several years, and we see this as a really exciting opportunity to deliver a service that exceeds your expectations. We aim to address some issues that you may have experienced in the past and to move the service to the next level – improving the quality of repairs, value for money, and our engagement with you. One of our first priorities is to address the backlog of outstanding repairs that some of you are experiencing and to provide a high level of customer service. This means that we want to complete repairs in our first visit where possible, at the correct time, with the correct materials, and in a professional manner. We’ll ensure that our teams are accountable, contactable, and responsive to any issues that may arise so that we can deliver the best service to you. Wates will also ensure that we provide a service that compliments the local community with lots of events and initiatives to get involved in. We’re looking forward to working with you!

Gary Wilkinson, Regional Managing Director