Abode Recruitment

The deal, which is subject to consultation with leaseholders, is for responsive repairs, void refurbishment, estate management, decent homes work and planned maintenance on 8,000 of the 20,100 tenanted homes in Lambeth.

The seven-year deal is expected to begin in October 2010 and includes a three-year extension that is dependent on performance.

Bob Holt, chair of Mears, said: ‘The new contract award is designed to deliver tangible improvements into the community. Lambeth’s partnership ethos creates long term opportunities for its partners.

‘The tenant-centric service is set to improve their lives and the community in which they live. We look forward to serving the tenants of Lambeth for many years to come.’

Last month, Mears announced it increased its social housing revenue by 26 per cent in 2009 and had bids in for £3.9 billion of work. It said it expected there to be ‘unprecedented levels of opportunity in the public sector’.