Plus Dane awards £32m contract

Plus Dane Housing Group has awarded a £32m repairs, gas and maintenance service contract for 7,000 properties in Liverpool.

The work was won by local contractors Smiths SD and Penny Lane Builders, both of whom have previously worked for Plus Dane. Sixty staff and 11 apprentices will transfer to Plus Dane under the terms of the deal to form an in-house unit.

Ken Perry, chief executive of Plus Dane, said: "As a neighbourhood investor, Plus Dane is all about positive partnerships and trying to squeeze maximum value out of every pound it spends in neighbourhoods. Not only will this be about excellent service, it will be about creating new jobs and apprenticeships for people who live in the neighbourhoods we serve."

Meanwhile, Anne Ward, head of integration at Plus Dane Group, has retired from the organisation. Ward, 59, was chief executive of Dane Housing (Congleton), which merged with Plus Housing in 2008.

Plus Dane has 15,000 properties, mainly in Cheshire and Merseyside.