Halton Housing has completed the re-tendering of its vehicle contract hire framework, which will last for four years.

The framework covers a range of vehicles from small cars to 26 tonne refuse vehicles, as well as plant and specialist vehicles.

The Northwest housing association, with over 7,000 homes across Widnes and Runcorn, says that the new framework has a strong emphasis on the needs of Halton Housing’s property maintenance team, with bidders evaluated on quality as a priority.

The framework is available to use by other registered providers, local authorities and other public sector contracting authorities around the UK.

Scott Murray, director of homes at Halton Housing, said: “Working with Link Group, a partner that shares our vision and values, has been crucial to our strategy and we look forward to continuing to work with them in the future.”

The re-tendering of this framework comes in the wake of Halton Housing’s 2020 fleet purchase framework. This is the fourth iteration of the framework, with previous versions tendered by Halton Housing in 2008, 2012 and 2016.

This time around, Halton Housing broadened the scope of the framework to include vehicle lots for employee salary sacrifice schemes and the flexi/spot hire of vehicles.

Both of these sectors are becoming increasingly popular, it says.

Flexi-hire has been instrumental in assisting public sector fleets to cope with the demands of coronavirus, while employee salary sacrifice schemes are probing increasingly popular.

Marc Garrett, associate director at Link Group, said: “Halton Housing is, by its own admission, no ordinary housing association. The team’s innovative and forward-thinking approach is astonishing. This new framework will make a real difference and we’re proud to be involved in the process.”

Details of the four lots and the relevant suppliers are as follows:

• Contract hire of cars and LCVs up to 5 tonne: Athlon Mobility Services UK, Days Fleet, Kinto UK, Lex Autolease, ALD Automotive, Go Plant Fleet Services, Alphabet (GB), TCH Leasing.
• Contract hire of heavy and specialist vehicles: Specialist Fleet Services, London Hire, Go Plant Fleet Services, C.P Davidson & Sons, V M S Fleet Management, Dawsongroup.
• Employee car salary sacrifice schemes: Kinto UK, TCH Leasing, LeasePlan, Grosvenor Leasing Contracts.
• Flexi/spot hire: Specialist Fleet Services, London Hire, Northgate, C.P Davidson & Sons, Go Plant Fleet Services, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Dawsongroup, Lex Autolease, MuniHire Limited, Arnold Clark Finance, V M S Fleet Management, LeasePlan.