A £2.6 million contract to look after properties owned by South Lakeland District Council will not be extended, the authority has revealed.
The council appointed Lambert Smith Hampton in 2016 for a five-year contract to look after its property across its estate and help it make the most of its assets.
The contract ends in September and the only option on the table was for it to be extended for another five years.
So South Lakeland District Council has agreed to bring the service inhouse.
The move will see four full-time and two part-time staff transfer from Lambert Smith Hampton and the authority also plans to recruit two full-time specialists.
It said a lot of work had been completed during the partnership, including a strategy for its estate, a strategic asset management board set up and a property review undertaken and reviewed annually.
Work identified has been undertaken, in the pipeline or feasibility studies have taken place on most of the council’s strategic assets, it said.
With the decision on local government reform, and the requirement to consider best value, it was considered that a five-year extension was not appropriate at this time.
Councillor Andrew Jarvis, deputy leader and portfolio holder for finance and assets, said: “Bringing this service in-house will give the council control over its resources and be better able to ensure service continuity and a direct focus on service delivery, ensuring best value for the council.
“This move is in no way a reflection of the excellent quality of work provided by LSH, who have embraced our ethos of partnership working to deliver the best services we possibly can.”
Richard Platt, a director of LSH, who heads the firm’s Kendal office, said: “We are delighted to have had the opportunity to work in partnership with South Lakeland District Council over the past five years and have enjoyed working on many successful projects together.”
