The £300m deal integrates all the council’s major repair and maintenance services  and is expected to save the authority around £2m a year.

The contract starts on July 1 and will continue for up to 15 years.

Morgan Sindall will be carrying out repairs, maintenance and planned improvement works to the Council’s housing stock as well as undertaking gas servicing, repairs and boiler renewals to 10,000 domestic gas heating systems.

Repairs and maintenance works to the Council’s non-residential properties, including the Towngate Theatre, Basildon Centre and local community halls will also be carried out under the deal

Chief executive of Basildon Council, Bala Mahendran, said: “This great partnership with Morgan Sindall highlights our commitment to our residents and allows us to provide a more efficient and streamlined maintenance service.

“We’re pleased that this new contract will provide better servicing and renewals works for tenants across the borough.

“In addition, the introduction of new services means that people will have a better choice and improved access to what they need to maintain their homes.”

John Morgan, chief executive of Morgan Sindall Group, said: “Morgan Sindall Group has a track record of working in Basildon having built the Sporting Village and delivered a major regeneration project in Laindon.

“Basildon Council is a forward-thinking organisation whose ambition we share to drive innovation in service delivery.

“We developed a bespoke offering for Basildon, one that would support the Council’s aspirations to ‘create opportunities’ for the local community.

“The length of this contract will not only enable us to provide long-term employment opportunities for local people but ensure we continue to develop new and smarter ways of delivering our services.

“We look forward to working with Basildon Council and its residents over the next 15 years.”