BURNLEY'S council repairs team has won the town's £2million house maintenance contract...but they still face a wait.

The Government will decide whether the 50-man unit will get the work.

The in-house team is under watch by the Department of the Environment because of huge losses run up by the contract services squads in past years.

Although the direct services department has been virtually disbanded with the loss of many jobs, Burnley Maintenance Services, which responds to call-out repairs to the town's 5,000 council houses, is still very much up and running.

The team has seen off the challenge of several private firms for the new two-year contract and has satisfied all other aspects of price and quality evaluation.

But because of the council's poor past performance on cash losses , it will be for the Department of the Environment to decide whether the council workers are awarded the contract.

Although the responsive repairs unit has not itself made losses, planned maintenance on housing, such as block replacement of windows, went deep into the red, forcing the council to withdraw from carrying out future work.

A council spokesman said a decision by the Secretary of State was expected in about a month.

Rejection of the in-house bid would result in the team being disbanded and a major loss of jobs.

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