Communal and Commercial Gas Service and Maintenance
Delivering Excellence for London & Quadrant Housing Association
- Multi-site commercial and residential gas service and maintenance
- 64 communal blocks and 137 domestic gas properties across London and the South East
- 100% Emergency OOH response
- ‘Commended’ resident satisfaction
Introduction
In May 2025, Aston Group secured the Communal and Commercial Gas Service and Maintenance contract with London and Quadrant Housing Association (L&Q) - one of the UK’s largest and most respected housing associations. Building on an established working relationship, our Commercial Gas team mobilised quickly and effectively, delivering consistent performance across a wide geographic footprint from day one.
The contract covers 64 communal blocks and 137 domestic gas properties across Essex, East London, Southend, Chelmsford and High Wycombe. In under a year, the team has not only met every KPI target set by L&Q, but exceeded the majority, including achieving 100% compliance across three of the five response categories. The first winter brought a significant operational challenge that the team rose to with outstanding commitment, earning a formal commendation from the client.
Contract overview
The L&Q contract represents a significant addition to Aston Group’s commercial gas portfolio. L&Q is one of the UK’s largest housing associations, owning or managing more than 100,000 homes. The trust placed in Aston Group to maintain the safety, compliance and comfort of residents across this estate is a responsibility the team takes seriously.
Mobilisation and compliance
Aston Group’s ISO 9001-certified Mobilisation Plan was developed specifically around L&Q’s specifications, KPIs, SLAs and all applicable legislative requirements. Contract Manager Paul Lloyd - who previously led the L&Q commercial servicing contract - brought direct client knowledge to the mobilisation process, building a detailed programme informed by service anniversary dates, L&Q’s repairs history, legislative best practice and local site surveys carried out during mobilisation.
The programme operates in full compliance with all relevant legislation and industry standards, including:
- Gas Safety Regulations 1998 (amended 2018)
- Health & Safety at Work Act 1974
- CDM Regulations 2015
- Electricity at Work Regulations 1989
- IGEM/G/11 Edition 2
- Gas Safe Technical Bulletins and HSE legislation
Planned preventative maintenance
ACIMS: Digital compliance management
All asset data and previous compliance certificates are loaded into ACIMS - Aston’s Centralised Information Management System - a robust total service management platform covering commercial gas servicing, PPMs, reactive repairs and capital works.
ACIMS automatically generates service dates, assigns PPMs to the right engineers, and captures field data - including images and CP12, CP15, CP16 and CP17 certificates - in real time via 4G/5G/Wi-Fi. Both Aston Group and L&Q employees have access to a shared dashboard showing PPM compliance status in real time, with automatic flagging of jobs at risk to enable collaborative, timely resolution.
Access and resident management
Achieving and maintaining 100% PPM compliance requires a thoughtful, flexible approach to resident access. Aston Group manages this through a range of tailored measures:
- Appointment system adapted to the needs of priority and vulnerable residents
- Hard-to-access properties frontloaded with multiple contact methods
- Resident communications available in commonly spoken languages
- Braille, large font and audio transcription available on request
- Cultural and religious calendars used as a scheduling tool
- Evening and weekend appointment slots available on request
- Joint visits arranged with L&Q employees or other contractors where needed
Where access is not achieved, engineers make three fully documented attempts, leaving numbered no-access cards with helpdesk and engineer contact details, in line with L&Q’s Code of Conduct.
Reactive repairs
The Commercial Gas team provides a comprehensive reactive repairs service across the full contract. In-hours cover (8am–6pm, Monday to Friday) is complemented by a full out-of-hours service covering evenings, weekends and Bank Holidays, ensuring residents and building users are never left without support.
All repairs are completed right first time or made safe where possible, with engineers booking follow-on appointments on site where parts are required. Completions - including CP15s, CP16s and CP17s - are reported to L&Q via the Arena portal upon job closure, providing the client with a complete, auditable record of all works carried out.
Performance and KPIs
Aston Group consistently meets or exceeds every KPI target set out in the L&Q contract. Against a demanding set of response time targets - and in every case outperforming the Minimum Levels of Acceptable Performance (MLAP).
Rising to the challenge: Winter 2025/26
The contract’s first winter brought a significant operational test. A sustained surge in emergency callouts at Serpentine Close, driven by major circulation issues across the site, placed considerable pressure on the team during an already demanding period.
Contract Manager Paul Lloyd and his team responded with outstanding commitment, drawing in additional support from across Aston Group to address the issues efficiently and without compromising service levels elsewhere. The response was formally commended by L&Q. Resident feedback was equally positive, with many tenants noting that the same circulation problems had gone unresolved for the previous two winters, expressing genuine appreciation for the improvement under Aston Group’s watch.
These works are ongoing, and the team continues to undertake repairs to restore the full operation of all communal systems across the estate. It is a telling reflection of what has been built in under a year: a resilient, client-focused operation that rises to the occasion when it matters most.
“I just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge and compliment the excellent work Shayden and Patrick have been doing at both Dreywood and Ethelburga Court. They consistently go above and beyond for both employees and residents, ensuring all tasks are completed to the highest standard. They are always respectful, courteous, and professional every time they attend site. Their knowledge and skill really shine through in the quality of their work, and it makes a huge difference to us. We would be grateful if they could continue to attend our schemes as preferred operatives — having them makes the process much smoother for everyone.”
“Patrick recently assisted us with an issue regarding our heating, and his knowledge and expertise were evident from the moment he arrived. Not only did he quickly identify and resolve the problem, but he also took the time to clearly explain each step of the process. He showed us exactly what had caused the issue and what actions he was taking to fix it, which was extremely reassuring. In addition to his technical skills, Patrick provided outstanding customer service. He listened patiently to our concerns, addressed our questions thoroughly, and made sure we felt comfortable and informed throughout the entire visit. It’s rare to encounter such professionalism, courtesy, and competence all in one person.”
Fatema Khanom, L&Q Resident, Serpentine Estate, Aqua Court
“I attended the property and met up with an engineer called Patrick Byrnes. Patrick has a very polite, professional manner and he demonstrated to me, in front of the resident, that there was no issue with the valve that the resident alleged to be leaking. He showed me some other components that had recently been changed in this flat on previous visits. I also saw the high calibre of work and care that Patrick takes when we later visited an adjacent flat. The resident had previously been carrying out manual operation of heating and hot water valves, and Patrick handled the situation with patience and clear communication throughout.”
Tony Jayes, L&Q Building Services Engineer
Conclusion
In under a year, Aston Group has established itself as a trusted, high-performing partner for L&Q - meeting or exceeding every KPI target, earning a formal commendation for its response to the winter 2025/26 challenges and building strong relationships at every level, from residents and sheltered housing employees to L&Q’s own building services engineers.
The contract demonstrates what Aston Group brings to complex, multi-site gas service and maintenance programmes: a technically skilled and adaptable engineering team, robust digital compliance management through ACIMS, a genuine commitment to resident welfare, and the organisational resilience to respond when the unexpected happens.
We look forward to continuing to build on this foundation - driving further improvements in compliance, response times and resident experience as the contract matures.
About Aston Group
Aston Group is a leading provider of building services, compliance and retrofit solutions, working with local authorities, housing associations and commercial clients across London and the South East. Our services span gas and heating maintenance, electrical compliance, retrofit and decarbonisation, and facilities management - all delivered with the same commitment to quality, compliance and customer care.