BLACKBURN Council is celebrating scooping four contracts to safeguard around 220 jobs.

The housing section and operations department have both won contracts against tough outside competition under compulsory competitive tendering laws.

In its first venture into tendering, the housing section beat off stiff competition to keep control of its housing management services, retaining around 120 jobs.

And the operations department has kept control of repair and maintenance contracts which it has held for three years, safeguarding around 100 jobs.

"This is brilliant news for Blackburn Council,' said council leader Coun Malcolm Doherty.

"We have proved that when we come up against the best in the commercial world, we are able to better them on price and quality."

New tendering laws for white-collar services forced the council to put its housing management out to tender throughout Europe.

After bidders were whittled down to a short list of two, the council's own bids won the two contracts on offer. Responsibilities include staffing area offices, letting houses, collecting rent, answering tenants' inquiries and ordering repairs.

"If the next lowest bid had been accepted it would have put around £3 extra per week on rents," said housing committee chairman Coun Andy Kay.

"The council is extremely pleased that the housing management services bid against hostile competition won not only in terms of price but also quality.

"Our bid scored twice as high as the rival in quality terms.

"Blackburn Council tenants will continue to receive the quality, value for money service they have enjoyed for many years."

The operations department successfully re-tendered against three outside bids for two blue-collar contracts to keep the council's housing stock in good repair.

Operations committee chairman Coun Mike Madigan said the contact had been won against extremely competitive tenders.

"We have operated this contract for the last three years and we will continue to give housing tenants a first class service," he promised.

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