A collaboration driving sustainable excellence
Equans and Cheshire East Council have forged a long standing and impactful partnership, with Equans delivering facilities management, capital projects and compliance services on behalf of the council since 2014.A collaboration driving sustainable excellence
Equans and Cheshire East Council have forged a long standing and impactful partnership, with Equans delivering facilities management, capital projects and compliance services on behalf of the council since 2014.
Key partnership facts
Key partnership facts
Overview
Equans and Cheshire East Council have forged a long‑standing and impactful partnership, with Equans delivering facilities management, capital projects and compliance services on behalf of the council since 2014. By developing a deep understanding of the council’s priorities, Equans has introduced innovative initiatives that drive sustainability and continuous improvement, supporting the council’s wider vision and its net zero carbon objectives.
Our work
Facilities management services
At the core of the partnership is the delivery of a comprehensive suite of facilities management services across Cheshire East Council’s diverse property portfolio.
A central service desk assists this delivery, maintaining accurate property portfolio records and coordinating services across a wide range of assets, including commercial office accommodation, civic buildings, depots, children’s centres, leisure centres, libraries, care homes, void properties, land and open spaces. Planned and reactive maintenance is managed and delivered across the estate, ensuring buildings remain compliant, efficient and safe.
During 2024–25, Equans completed 4,033 statutory jobs to ensure properties remained in full compliance with health, safety and environmental regulations, achieving 100% performance. In addition, 2,660 non‑statutory planned maintenance jobs were planned and delivered to support efficient operation and protect asset lifecycle value, achieving 98.9% performance.
The local team also responded to 4,577 reactive maintenance requests received via the helpdesk during 2024–25, prioritising issues and delivering timely resolutions across the estate.
Building resilience through sustainability
Cheshire East Council has set an ambitious target to achieve carbon neutrality. To support this, we drew on our expertise in low‑carbon technologies and our in‑depth knowledge of the council’s estate to develop Heat Decarbonisation Plans for more than 30 buildings, including schools, offices, libraries and leisure centres.
Using a detailed understanding of building condition and asset lifecycle stages, we identified opportunities for decarbonisation, recommended low‑carbon alternatives, introduced innovative solutions and optimised capital works to minimise disruption.
We also supported the council in securing significant levels of grant funding, enabling the council to redirect its own capital to other priorities while continuing to deliver estate‑wide improvements and efficiencies.
Projects
At Equans we work closely with Cheshire East Council to identify and deliver condition‑led and infrastructure improvement schemes that benefit both the council and the local community. These include:
Delamere House, Crewe
We were commissioned to manage and deliver a major internal refurbishment of Delamere House, one of the council’s main office buildings, as part of the council’s property rationalisation programme. This £380,000 project transformed the ground floor to create a new Committee Suite, Reception area and Family Safeguarding and Interview Rooms, alongside a full refurbishment of the WCs.
The scheme also included the installation of new lighting, power and data points, a new air conditioning system and an additional fire exit, as well as the replacement of ceilings and floors. All works were carefully phased and delivered while the building’s six floors remained fully operational, with scheduling a key priority to minimise disruption.
Following completion, Delamere House has welcomed additional teams to its ground floor, enabling the next phase of the council’s wider property rationalisation programme to get underway.
Swimming pool grant schemes
To improve energy efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint of its leisure centres, Cheshire East Council secured grant funding to deliver a range of sustainable upgrades, with Equans appointed to deliver the works.
At Alsager Leisure Centre and Macclesfield Leisure Centre, existing pool filtration systems were replaced with state‑of‑the‑art Ceramiflo microfiltration units, enhancing water quality while significantly reducing energy consumption.
Further improvements were delivered at Crewe Lifestyle Centre, including the installation of new pool covers to reduce heat loss and the replacement of the original air handling unit with a more efficient system. This required a redesign of the plant room to improve ergonomics and support safer, more effective future maintenance.
These initiatives reflect the way we work with Cheshire East Council to deliver their commitment to environmental responsibility and make its leisure portfolio operationally efficient.
Impact
Through close collaboration and a shared commitment to sustainability, the partnership between Equans and Cheshire East Council has delivered measurable improvements in compliance, energy efficiency and operational performance across the council’s estate. The introduction of low-carbon technologies, targeted investment and grant-funded schemes has reduced environmental impact while maintaining service quality, safety and resilience.
The partnership demonstrates the transformative power of alignment, innovation and a shared vision. By working collaboratively and proactively, we have achieved tangible results and set a benchmark for effective partnerships within the facilities management sector.
As the partnership continues to evolve and innovate, we remain committed to driving sustainable excellence, supporting the council’s long-term objectives and empowering communities for a brighter, more sustainable future.
Outcomes
- Overall KPI performance for 2024–25 averaged 97.4% across 11 contract KPIs, with no KPI deductions for the third consecutive year.
- 100% performance achieved on statutory planned preventative maintenance in 2024–25 (4,033 jobs).
- Non‑statutory planned maintenance performance of 98.9% in 2024–25.
- Annual client satisfaction engagement of 93% in 2024–25, with a Net Promoter Score of +26.
- 100% participation in the annual employee survey by employees working on the Cheshire East Council partnership in 2025, demonstrating exemplary employee engagement
Frequently asked questions
Facilities management supports local authorities by ensuring public buildings are safe, compliant, and run efficiently.
Reactive maintenance is critical because it addresses urgent repairs promptly, preventing disruption and protecting large public sector property portfolios, like Cheshire East Council, to remain operational.
Capital projects and sustainability upgrades help councils achieve net zero carbon by modernising infrastructure and reducing emissions.
Our expertise
Equans supports businesses, communities and the public sector by mobilising its expertise to provide low-carbon energy solutions, offer cutting-edge technical and FM services and transformative regeneration across the UK & Ireland.
