The City of London's new in-house repairs service, launched on 1 September 2026, is exceeding expectations, demonstrating better performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) compared to previous third-party operators.

The Barbican Estate Office (BEO) is aiming to eliminate its backlog of works in progress by the end of the calendar year, with a goal of a clean slate in 2027.

Dan Sanders, Director of Property and Estate Management, informed the Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee that the in-house repairs service had been largely successful since its inception. He noted that the dedicated call centre and newly onboarded operatives were contributing to the positive results. The Service Level Agreement Working Party (SLAWP) had previously noted the backlog of repair jobs as an issue, and the Barbican App's interface with the Civica repairs system was also highlighted as a point of focus.

A report detailing KPIs from 1 September to 14 October shows a 96.23% completion rate within target for all priority levels. Priority 1 (Emergency) repairs achieved an 86.96% completion rate within target, while Priority 3 (Routine) repairs saw a 99.32% success rate.

This performance is a marked improvement on previous third-party operators, Chigwell and Elkins, whose total completion rates were recorded at 55.86% and 76.55% respectively.

The Barbican App, a key communication tool for residents, continues to gain traction with over 1400 registered users. A web version is also set to be released soon, offering further accessibility. The web version will allow leaseholders to review documents on their desktop, which some residents prefer for convenience, while still being able to use the app. The app has also been modified to permit the uploading of multiple photos.

While the transition to the in-house service has been smooth, there remains a backlog of works in progress (WIP). The BEO is committed to reducing this backlog to zero by the end of 2026. The strategy for eliminating it involves the implementation of a dedicated call center and the onboarding of new operatives.

Public reports pack 26th-Oct-2026 18.30 Barbican Estate Residents Consultation Committee