Locarla | The UK's Social Housing Data Platform

Social Housing RMI Business Intelligence & other stuff

A month is a long time in housing. So much has happened in the world since we last spoke. There are days I wish I was back in the monastery.

In India ‘everyone’ cooks with LPG, both domestically and commercially. But due to foreseen circumstances the LPG was sitting on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz. Ships started to get through, but not before restaurants were forced to close and a lot of people turned to coke and wood fires to cook meals on ‐ and that ain’t good.
Smile and wave, boys.

We all need a bit of cheering up.
What I want you all to do, is get up, press play on the song, find the nearest person to you, give them a big hug and say, “I love you!”

I Hate Hate – Razzy Bailey
https://open.spotify.com/track/51FLli6GSbWZ0rTUiEe0GP?si=d99755b854b34c6b
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kD0o6u4N9zc

Over the past month my LinkedIn posts have largely revolved around how AI is actually useful in the social housing data world. When we first built a RAG/LLM* layer on top of the Locarla housing dataset it felt revolutionary, but recently we realised (Doh!) that most of the questions people ask AI are questions our clients have been able to answer on Locarla for years. The real challenge isn’t retrieving information, it’s knowing what questions to ask in the first place. That’s where AI becomes genuinely interesting ‐ not just answering queries, but suggesting opportunities, risks and conversations users hadn’t thought to explore.

*The RAG/LLM is available to clients on our Retrofit & Decarbonisation licence. It is accessed via the [AI] icon at the top of the page, once they have logged in.

If Bloomberg can build AI around financial intelligence, the equivalent we’re edging toward is Social Housing Intelligence AI ‐ combining housing stock data, energy data and procurement insight to surface opportunities and patterns across the sector.

We’ve also been looking at how each member of our staff are using LLMs in their assigned roles. Everyone at my company, who sits at a computer, was asked to prompt for this. You might find it an interesting exercise.

Prompt:
I want to understand how you can assist me in my day‐to‐day work.

My role: [job title]

What my job mainly involves:
[List the main responsibilities or tasks you do during a normal week.]

Examples of work I regularly do:
• [example task]
• [example task]
• [example task]

Tools or systems I use:
[List any software, spreadsheets, databases, reports, etc.]

Things that take up a lot of time or are repetitive:
[List tasks that feel manual, slow, or difficult.]

Things I am responsible for producing:
(Reports, emails, analysis, presentations, research, summaries, etc.)

Based on this, explain:

1.The specific ways you could help me in my role
2.Examples of prompts I could use for my daily tasks
3.Tasks I may not realise you can help with
4.Ways to improve the quality or speed of my work

Assume I want practical help, not general advice.

End.

That’s enough of that.
Through a team effort that never ceases to amaze me – this is the March Locarla Monthly Briefing.

‘Blue links‘ for all and ‘green links‘ are behind login so dependent on your licence.

Welcome, welcome, one and all.

Local Authorities in England Non‐Decent Homes 2025

It’s all News to me!

FUNDING & INVESTMENT

Homes England opens £27bn affordable homes programme
Registered providers are invited to bid for funding through the next ten-year housing programme.
Source →

L&G raises £750m for affordable housing investment
Legal & General has raised over £750m to fund new affordable housing delivery.
Source →

Tower Hamlets commits £609m to council housing
Ten-year investment programme focused on safety and energy efficiency.
Source →

North Lanarkshire approves £531m housing programme
Five-year plan targeting stock improvement and regeneration.
Source →

Gateshead Council commits £311m to housing upgrades and new supply
Five‐year plan targets major improvements to existing homes alongside expansion of affordable housing across the borough.
Source →

STRATEGY / MARKET MOVES

Mears sells FM division to focus on housing
Disposal sharpens focus on social housing maintenance and compliance demand.
Source →

DELIVERY & RETROFIT

Fortem Secures Midlands Repairs & Voids Deal with Amplius
New contract expands long-standing partnership to deliver maintenance services across thousands of social homes in the East and West Midlands.
Source →

Equans secures council retrofit contract in Stevenage
Hundreds of homes upgraded under Warm Homes programme.
Source →

Galliford Try wins £28m Clarion housing scheme
126 social rent homes delivered in Chester.
Source →

Spotlight on Housing

Show me the money!

A PDF guide to contract management on Locarla.

The spring procurement pipeline is gathering pace ‒ bringing a mix of refurbishment, compliance, repairs opportunities across the UK social housing sector.

Leading this month’s procurement activity, LHC Procurement Group is preparing PIN ‐ Refurbishment and Modernisation (RM4) valued at £1.2bn across Scotland and Northern Ireland for 48 months, covering refurbishment works including kitchens, bathrooms, electrical, damp remediation, adaptations and external works.

Scaling national offsite delivery capacity, Procurement for Housing (PfH) is undertaking market engagement for PIN ‐ Modular Buildings Framework valued at £1bn across UK Wide for 48 months, covering modular construction solutions and associated consultancy services for social housing providers.

Expanding national fire safety supply chains, Kent County Council is undertaking market engagement for PIN ‐ Fire Safety Products and Associated Services worth £200m across the South East for 48 months, shaping a future framework for fire safety equipment and services.

Strengthening regional responsive maintenance delivery, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive is progressing PIN ‐ Response Maintenance (South and Belfast Areas) valued at £143.7m for 60 months across its housing portfolio, covering 24/7 repairs, void works, asbestos and fire safety services.

Enhancing its consultancy pipeline, Orbit Group Ltd. is progressing PIN ‐ Professional Services Framework valued at £136.9m for 48 months across its housing portfolio, covering engineering, architecture, project management, retrofit, fire safety and sustainability services.

Bringing forward development opportunities, Tower Hamlets London Borough has issued PIN ‐ Capital Projects valued at £90m across Greater London for 27 months, covering new homes, community facilities and public realm works.

Driving building services maintenance, The Guinness Partnership is tendering Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Servicing and Capital Works worth £72.1m for 60 months across its housing portfolio, covering servicing, repairs and installations across MEP systems.

Supporting accessibility solutions nationwide, YPO (Yorkshire Purchasing Organisation) is establishing Stairlifts and Associated Services valued at £70m across UK Wide for 48 months, covering supply, installation and servicing of lifts and hoists.

Delivering housing refurbishment works at district level, Ashfield District Council is procuring Housing Refurbishment Contract to Various Council Owned Properties valued at £69m across the East Midlands for 36 months, appointing up to three contractors to undertake building repairs and maintenance works across council housing stock.

Advancing large-scale component replacement programmes, Falkirk Council is tendering Window & Door Replacements in Council Area – Phase 2 worth £60m across Scotland for 60 months, covering the supply and installation of windows and doors alongside associated building and finishing works across council homes.

Preparing the market for future internal investment works, Trivallis is undertaking early engagement for PIN ‐ Kitchen & Bathroom Programme valued at £31m across Wales for 48 months, ahead of a planned programme of kitchen and bathroom replacements across its housing stock.

Delivering accessibility improvements for vulnerable residents, Peterborough City Council is establishing a Care & Repair Open Framework valued at £22m across East Anglia for 36 months, covering home adaptations including level‐access showers, internal alterations and minor aids funded through Disabled Facilities Grants.

Addressing building safety remediation, Newlon Housing Trust is engaging the market for PIN ‐ Cladding Works valued at £21.7m across Greater London for 12 months, ahead of a forthcoming procurement targeting cladding and facade improvement works.

Completing the month’s pipeline, Hillingdon London Borough is procuring Domestic Gas Heating Systems ‐ Installation and Servicing valued at £14m across Greater London for 48 months, covering gas safety inspections, servicing, responsive repairs and replacement works across approximately 10,000 council homes.

AI in Social Housing Report

Download the full report.

The Other League Tables

Along with our main monthly league tables, ❲see below❳, we also produce tables based on the following trades: Retrofit, Asbestos Survey, Fire Risk Assessment, Water/Legionella & Stock Condition Survey. ❲RMI Insight & Decarbonisation clients, click here for the PDF❳

Top of the league in each table are ….

Retrofit:

Equans

Asbestos Survey:

Tersus Consultancy

Fire Risk Assessment:

IFI Group

Stock Condition Surveys:

Pennington Choices

Water / Legionella:

Sureserve Compliance Water

February League Tables

Built Environment Contracts

The trades we cover; Responsive Repair, Planned Works (Kitchen/Bathrooms & Doors/Windows), Gas Servicing/Central Heating, Voids, Fire Safety & Roofing.