A2Dominion has published its Annual Report & Accounts for 2023/24, recording a turnover of £399.6 million (up by 2.7%) and an operating surplus of £48.7 million (up by 12.2%). The housing association recorded an overall deficit of £21.0 million (2023: £12.8 million deficit) for 2023/24, which includes net interest charges
A housing association-led partnership has transformed two college classrooms into cutting-edge workshops, designed to inspire students to join the construction sector. Hartlepool College of Further Education unveiled its new construction workshops to students on Tuesday, following its transformation by be:ONE partners. The be:ONE partnership was launched in April by believe
A brand-new estate of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership in Preston has been completed by Community Gateway Association (CGA), the city’s largest not-for-profit housing association. The 78 homes, comprising 75 houses, three bungalows, a playground and ample green space, have been built by Seddon Housing Partnerships on behalf
One of the Midlands largest housing associations in partnership with one of the UK’s top house builders have been crowned winners in a leading awards scheme. Platform Housing Group and Keepmoat have been awarded the Property Deal of the Year category in this year’s East Midlands Property Dinner organised by
The final phase of the £42.8m award-winning Welsh Streets neighbourhood regeneration in Liverpool has been completed, bringing the total number of Placefirst homes delivered across the area to 296. The now complete scheme delivers professionally managed, newly built and refurbished rental homes. In close partnership with Liverpool City Council, Placefirst
Cost comparisons by Habinteg Housing Association of grab rail, stairlift and wet room home adaptations show that people living in an M4(1) visitable dwelling who need to carry out such adaptations could be almost £27,000 worse off compared to those living in an accessible and adaptable M4(2) home. Families and
Maidstone-based housing association Golding Homes has successfully renegotiated changes to agreements with its funders and investors to increase investment into existing homes. This enables the delivery of the Board-approved asset management strategy to spend £60m over the next three years to invest in improving its existing homes and help deliver
Salford housing association Salix Homes has been awarded the highest grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in recognition of the homes and services it provides for customers. The RSH, the Government body that regulates the social housing sector, has recently completed a thorough inspection of Salix Homes as
Housing association Salix Homes has unveiled its plans to invest more than £20million improving social housing across Salford over the next year. The landlord, which owns 8,000 homes in Salford, has announced its investment programme for 2024-2025, which will see 1,366 homes undergo improvement work. A £10million eco-transformation at neighbouring
A £5 million project to replace cladding and improve fire safety at a 74-home central London development has now been completed. The works at Barrington Court in Victoria form part of A2Dominion’s wider programme to remediate cladding at a total of 65 developments to ensure they meet new government safety
A2Dominion has published its Annual Report & Accounts for 2023/24, recording a turnover of £399.6 million (up by 2.7%) and an operating surplus of £48.7 million (up by 12.2%). The housing association recorded an overall deficit of £21.0 million (2023: £12.8 million deficit) for 2023/24, which includes net interest charges and a reported downward movement in the valuation of investment property totaling £14.5 million. The result reflects the Group’s decision, outlined in its new Corporate Strategy, to refocus finances on improvements to services and customers’ homes, as well as investing in building safety work. The last year saw a continued increase in investment in maintaining and improving properties to ensure customers’ homes are safe and comply with new regulations (£96.8m – 2023: £86.1m). The Group will also be investing approximately £612 million in customers’ homes over the next five years, in line with its 2030 vision to provide homes people love to live in. The Group’s end-of-year performance has also been impacted by impairments on schemes in development and the costs of aborting potential developments as the Group continues to assess schemes’ feasibility. This reflects the Group’s new approach to property development, which focuses on regeneration and redevelopment of existing homes and neighbourhoods, and moves away from its previous emphasis on private sale homes via its FABRICA by A2Dominion brand. In addition, the 38,000-home housing association decided to write-off the costs of a legacy IT programme and introduce a new approach to improving systems for customers and colleagues to drive service improvements and efficiencies that will be more cost effective in the medium term. The change in direction for the London and South-East association is one of several initiatives that is helping to underpin work to improve its services and outcomes for customers, as well as return to a compliant regulatory grading after its regulatory downgrade in January 2024. The Group continues to review its cost base with several initiatives put in place to reduce costs and improve income generation. Operating costs increased by 8.6% (2023: 17.1%) and continued to be affected by the rise in inflation including higher utilities and insurance costs of £4.8 million, with increases in: the costs of housing management including decants (£9.8m); leasehold (by £6.1m) and service charge (by £4.7m). Repairs costs increased by £7.7 million, driven by higher inflation, increased volumes of repairs and the cost of transitioning to a new joint venture repairs partnership. In commercial activities, the Group’s end-of-year results were impacted by the planned reduction of its sales and development programme. Construction costs and delays also increased with some schemes rolling into 2024/25, leading to impairments on some current schemes (£12.6m). A2Dominion’s balance sheet remains strong, with a Fitch A credit rating, more than £3.5bn of fixed assets and investments, and a reserves position of over £1bn. With significant liquidity and a strong asset base, the Group has been taking the tough calls now to reset the business to ensure it is well prepared to meet the significant challenges faced across the wider housing sector in years to come so that we can do more to support customers and alleviate housing needs. Ian Wardle, Chief Executive Officer of the A2Dominion Group, said: “Over the last year we’ve been open and transparent about the need to improve outcomes for our customers, all while dealing with the pressures of financial and regulatory change to the housing sector as a whole. “Since I arrived at A2Dominion in 2022, the Board has been clear we needed to simplify the organisation and return to the roots and beating heart of a housing association, moving away from being a residential property group. “This means we have had to take some tough calls to reset and pivot the organisation. These difficult decisions are being taken for the right reasons to support service improvement, adjust our development focus and write off some historic costs that we don’t believe will deliver what we need for customers and colleagues. “Our strategic priorities outlined in this report look set to help achieve value for money, working first and foremost with – and listening to – customers, as well as other stakeholders to prioritise investment in our core services and communities. “Although the Group’s profitability continued to come under pressure from economic constraints, we’ve already taken action to reduce costs and improve income generation. But there is still work to do. “Our underlying financial strength and potential is strong, and we will return to profitability as part of the improvements we are making.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A housing association-led partnership has transformed two college classrooms into cutting-edge workshops, designed to inspire students to join the construction sector. Hartlepool College of Further Education unveiled its new construction workshops to students on Tuesday, following its transformation by be:ONE partners. The be:ONE partnership was launched in April by believe housing, with contractors Buston & Maughan Group, RE:GEN Group, Sendrig Construction Limited and Sunter Limited, to deliver improvements to around 5,600 of its homes by 2028. The collaboration sees the partners work together to improve customer experience, achieve significant savings, and maximise the impact of social value in communities. There is also a strong focus on supporting the local economy and employment and reducing their impact on the environment. To deliver its first significant social value project, partners and suppliers gave 635 hours and donated more than £8,000 of materials to refurbish the workshops, which are kitted out with fit-for-industry equipment. Ruth Dent, Director of Assets and Compliance at believe housing, said: “The college does a fantastic job of giving students the skills and knowledge they need to get ready for a career in construction; in roles that are increasingly vital for building the new homes we need, maintaining and decarbonising existing homes, and supporting the regional economy. “We wanted to help make its learning spaces even more inspiring, and the be:ONE partners have pulled out all the stops to transform the workshop into the bright, well-equipped facility they deserve. “I’m deeply grateful to the partners for their hard work and enthusiasm and to suppliers Jewson, JTC Kitchens and Brewers Decorating for generously donating materials to the project. “I’m honoured that the college has let us help shape the students’ time at college and look forward to continuing to support them; maybe in the not-too-distant future some of them will be working for believe housing or our construction partners, helping us maintain and improve customers’ homes and supporting the local economy and jobs. “Together, we’ve created workshops that will help many young people to realise their potential, to succeed in our competitive world, and open doors to careers they might have never thought possible. “The skills learnt here will not only benefit the students but will also benefit the businesses they go on to work for and the communities they return to.” John Cartwright, Head of Business Growth and Skills at Hartlepool College of Further Education, said: “Planning a further education curriculum that maps into the construction industry is extremely difficult due to the ever-changing industry landscape. “Creating an inspiring educational environment that will support and ‘transform students’ lives’ is also difficult, due to cuts in education budgets and a severe lack of funds. “Working with Ruth Dent and the huge team of be:ONE partners has been a brilliant experience for us. “The college has gained not just brilliant, high-end workshops, but we have also partnered with some of the best industry employers in the region which will provide rich information from the sector to support the growth of our learners’ knowledge, skills and behaviours. “We are very fortunate to be part of this partnership and close links between all members have already been forged. “Our learners and staff will cherish these facilities that have been designed and built by industry with them in mind. “We can’t wait for our learners to show off their new skills in these fantastic facilities and look forward to the start of what plans to be a fabulous partnership.” One student said: “I love what they’re doing at Hartlepool college. They’re giving me a real stepping stone to how it works in the real world when I get a job.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A brand-new estate of homes for affordable rent and shared ownership in Preston has been completed by Community Gateway Association (CGA), the city’s largest not-for-profit housing association. The 78 homes, comprising 75 houses, three bungalows, a playground and ample green space, have been built by Seddon Housing Partnerships on behalf of CGA. 43 of the homes are available for affordable rent, while 35 are to be sold on a shared-ownership basis. The site, completed in May, is on Miller Road in Ribbleton, Preston, and has been designed to promote ‘people-led construction’. CGA’s Executive Director of Customers and Communities, Louise Mattinson, said: “We’re thrilled to see final completion at our Miller Road development. These new affordable and shared ownership homes are sorely needed in Preston and to be able to deliver them to such a high standard has been so encouraging. “It will be incredible to watch the community evolve over the years as individuals and families make homes out of these houses.” While construction was underway, Seddon and CGA were recognised with an LABC Brick Award for their standards of quality on the project, taking home the ‘Social Housing Development of the Year’ accolade, following an inspection of the site by risk management surveyors. LABC praised the quality of the workmanship, with the project standing out for its commitment to health and safety, site organisation and tidiness, innovation and care for the environment. Peter Jackson, Managing Director of Seddon Housing Partnerships, said: “The project at Miller Road is another great example of how Seddon works in partnership with organisations of all kinds to develop new and vibrant spaces. Working with CGA has been immensely rewarding and we look forward to developing projects with them in the future. “We were thrilled to receive the recognition from LABC, but we’re more excited to see people moving into their new homes and creating a community.” Seddon Housing Partnerships is part of the Seddon family of businesses. Committed to its ‘Better Homes, Better Lives’ ethos, they form partnerships with housing associations and local authorities to develop new homes, and refurbish, retrofit and regenerate existing homes and communities. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
One of the Midlands largest housing associations in partnership with one of the UK’s top house builders have been crowned winners in a leading awards scheme. Platform Housing Group and Keepmoat have been awarded the Property Deal of the Year category in this year’s East Midlands Property Dinner organised by Insider Media. The awards aim to recognise and champion the very best real estate, construction and design in the East Midlands. The joint entry focussed on the sale of a site of 604 residential dwellings by Boots Properties Limited to Keepmoat and the simultaneous subsale of land for 319 homes to Platform Housing Group for construction by Keepmoat of affordable housing alongside homes for sale. The transaction comprises a significant part of the 286 acre Nottingham Enterprise Zone and Walgreen Boots Alliance campus, which formed part of the health and pharmacy chains operational headquarters where it developed and manufactured ibuprofen painkillers during the 1960s. The deal is a true Nottingham born success story, linking a historical industrial site from Nottingham’s largest employer with the local offices of one of the country’s most successful housebuilders and one of the Midlands largest housing associations. The legal teams were exclusively drawn from Nottingham based law firms, Geldards LLP, acting for Boots; Freeths LLP, acting for Keepmoat and Browne Jacobson LLP, acting for Platform. Boots were represented by well known Nottingham agent Tim Garratt from Black Star Advisory. The large scale regeneration project will see Keepmoat deliver more than 600 high quality, multi tenure new homes over a period of six years, with construction due to complete in 2029. The winners were unveiled at a ceremony on Thursday 5 September at the East Midlands Conference Centre, one of the Midlands prime conference venues in Nottingham. Kate Ellison, Director of Land, Partnerships and Business Development at Platform Housing Group said: “We are absolutely delighted to win this award. Due to the insolvency of the previous developer, the transaction had to be completed from a standing start in only a little over eight weeks and required a herculean collaborative effort from all parties involved. With challenging planning, environmental and legal issues to overcome, the transaction was only possible as a result of the passion and drive of the highly skilled and dedicated teams within each of the parties involved to make the scheme a reality.” Boots has occupied the site for almost 100 years and the development supports its’ desire for a positive legacy for the former industrial site, and Keepmoat and Platform’s ongoing commitments to sustainability with high quality, energy efficient homes that have innovative solar electricity tech panels and air source heat pumps installed with a further aspiration for a number of homes to benefit from ‘zero bills.’ Charlotte Goode, Divisional Chair at Keepmoat said: “The whole team at Keepmoat are extremely proud to be part of this transformative project, which not only delivers high quality, energy efficient homes but also preserves the legacy of the site’s historical past. This award is a testament to the hard work and collaboration of both Keepmoat and Platform Housing Group, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this development will have on the local community and the region.” Gabor Taller, Partner at Browne Jacobson said: “I am so pleased that the Platform and Keepmoat teams are getting the recognition they richly deserve for pulling together this landmark deal for the region. Like Platform, Browne Jacobson is on a mission to drive positive change and is committed to help tackle society’s biggest challenges in a meaningful way; is therefore genuinely rewarding to be involved in this strategic project which will deliver sustainable, quality, affordable homes with a unique design and leave a legacy for the site’s historical past.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The final phase of the £42.8m award-winning Welsh Streets neighbourhood regeneration in Liverpool has been completed, bringing the total number of Placefirst homes delivered across the area to 296. The now complete scheme delivers professionally managed, newly built and refurbished rental homes. In close partnership with Liverpool City Council, Placefirst developed a masterplan in 2016 that has delivered a carefully considered neighbourhood, designed to transform the highly deprived area into a vibrant community that meets the local housing needs. The single-family housing developer’s sixth and final phase offers 13 new builds, consisting of three-bedroom houses, and one to two-bedroom apartments, to mark the completion of Placefirst’s 10-year regeneration programme. Featuring a community hub, where Placefirst’s dedicated resident services manager will be based, in addition to providing a place for community engagement and building initiatives, the project is one with community needs at its core – from design to operation. Investing over £40m into the area’s transformation, Placefirst has generated socio-economic benefits that have seen a domino effect of greater investment into the area, including over £1.7m into housing, business property refurbishments and a rise in the number of small businesses[1]. The nine streets that comprise Liverpool’s Welsh Streets – named after the Welsh workers who built and lived in the houses that stood there in the late 19th century – have a celebrated history in the city including being the birthplace of The Beatles’ Ringo Starr, and the site for the BBC’s ‘Peaky Blinders’. Marking the completion of Welsh Streets, David Mawson, chief executive of Placefirst, said: “Rooted in the area’s history, the significance of Welsh Streets to the local community and the city of Liverpool cannot be understated. “Our mission to transform this once-neglected area into a neighbourhood that instils pride and delivers lasting social and economic benefits has driven this ambitious 8-year project. As we prepare to welcome residents to the final phase, Welsh Streets stands as a testament to the importance of community-centred development. Working closely with existing residents, the completed neighbourhood celebrates the area’s history whilst reflecting the ambitions of today’s community, fit to deliver longstanding value for generations to come. “As our growth continues at pace, Welsh Streets remains a flagship development that has set a standard for what to expect as we look to continue enhancing communities through the growth of our single-family rental portfolio.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Cost comparisons by Habinteg Housing Association of grab rail, stairlift and wet room home adaptations show that people living in an M4(1) visitable dwelling who need to carry out such adaptations could be almost £27,000 worse off compared to those living in an accessible and adaptable M4(2) home. Families and individuals could be forced to spend savings to privately fund essential adaptation whilst Local Authorities would be picking up the bill for those who do not have savings through a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). With Government allocating £625 million to Local Authorities’ DFG funds in 2024/25 (185% more than 10 years ago), unless homes are designed to be more adaptable from the outset, Councils are set to face increasing pressure on home adaptation grants as the population ages and disability rates rise1. This is one reason why Habinteg is urging the Government to make the M4(2) accessible and adaptable standard the baseline for all new homes in England, and to immediately hold the one short consultation with industry stakeholders on the implementation details to make it happen. If it does not, its pledge to deliver 1.5 million homes this parliamentary term could see the country’s housing crisis worsen for future households that include disabled and older people. Currently: Habinteg’s price comparison illustrates that the cost of adapting an older or M4(1) home, for a person who may need one or all three of the most common adaptations, could cost almost £27,0002. In a typical scenario, a bathroom grab rail can cost over £270 to install in an older home. As the property’s wall may be too weak to mount a grab rail, the work would include wall strengthening. For an M4(2) property – which already has walls capable of supporting a grab rail – a builder could install the grab rail at a more affordable cost of around £125. If someone needs a stairlift, it can cost between £9,000 – £10,000 to install one in an M4(1) home, depending on the design of the stairs. An M4(1) property is likely to have steeper and narrower or curved staircase. Whereas the cost of fitting a stairlift in an accessible and adaptable home would average between £2500-£4000. In some older homes stair lifts are not possible to fit, due to the narrowness of the stairs or other prohibitive design issues, in which case a through-floor lift is needed which can cost between £18,000 and £20,000. Meanwhile, converting an entry level WC to a wet room – completing all the structural and plumbing work needed – would typically cost at least £6500 in an M4(1) home. In contrast, adapting the same room in an accessible and adaptable home (using the pre-existing drainage) could be close to £1,800 cheaper, with less work required, making it 37 per cent cheaper to adapt than an M4(1) home. Disability Activist and wheelchair user Kerry Thompson said: “We’re living in a society where individuals are living longer, with a life expectancy in England of 79 years for males and 83 years for women. Add appropriate housing to that and it can dramatically improve a disabled or older person’s ability to live independently. We know that those with homes that do meet their accessibility needs also report improved health and well-being. “And, having the right adaptations to a home that is already accessible and adaptable can create significant savings to the public purse, reducing social care costs for local authorities and health costs for the NHS. “I urge everyone to think for just a few seconds of the type of future disabled and older people face if the M4(2) standard is not implemented now. Very few of us have the income or savings necessary to afford the kind of adaptations needed to an older or M4(1) home. The DFG isn’t an endless pot.” Christina McGill, Habinteg’s Director of Social Impact & External Affairs, said: “Almost 80% of disabled people acquire their impairment after the age of 16, so the accessibility and adaptability of new homes is critical if they are to be fit for purpose for the whole population. Our simple cost comparisons show it’s much cheaper to adapt an M4(2) accessible and adaptable home, making this standard fantastic value for money. “We should also remember that M4(2) homes are not specialist, they are designed to be inclusive, welcoming and easy to live in for everyone, whether it be a young person starting out, a family with young children or older people in retirement. “So, as the Labour Government embarks on its ambitious house-building program, we urge them to prioritise accessibility and adaptability in all new homes. “Bringing in the accessible and adaptable standard, now, for all new homes built in England will ensure that our housing stock is fit for the future and will send a strong message that the health and wellbeing of all citizens is being prioritised.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Maidstone-based housing association Golding Homes has successfully renegotiated changes to agreements with its funders and investors to increase investment into existing homes. This enables the delivery of the Board-approved asset management strategy to spend £60m over the next three years to invest in improving its existing homes and help deliver significant benefits to its customers. Finance Director David Hart said: “Getting these deals over the line is a fantastic achievement which will deliver our robust asset management strategy so that we can make a real and lasting difference to our customers. “Some of this work is already underway; homes are getting new roofs, kitchens, bathrooms, and replacement doors and windows. These improvements will transform the environmental performance of these homes and help reduce energy use and costs for customers. “Successfully securing these revised agreements with Barclays, Lloyds Bank, NatWest, and Santander UK is a wonderful achievement and we’re thrilled. It’s a testament to the strong, positive partnerships we have with our funders, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s worked so hard for many months to make it happen, including our solicitors Anthony Collins and my inhouse team.” Kathrin Nash, Relationship Director, Barclays, said: “As always, it has been an absolute pleasure to work with the Finance team at Golding Homes on this strategic covenant relaxation to enable the association to undertake its important asset management strategy over the next few years. Barclays enjoys a strong relationship with Golding Homes and is proud to be a strategic partner of the association. This is another example of our renewed focus on supporting and lending to more businesses across the UK.” Chris Yau, Relationship Director Lloyds Bank, said: “Everyone deserves access to a safe, energy efficient and lasting home and so we are proud to support Golding Homes – as one of the largest landlords in Kent – in its efforts to provide good quality social housing to the local community.” Dean Holleyman, Director of Housing Finance, Commercial and Institutional, at NatWest said: “We’re pleased to offer Golding Homes a structure that allows for greater investment in its properties. We’re committed to supporting the creation of more affordable homes while ensuring that existing houses become more sustainable. It’s great news that Golding will deliver new homes, while people currently living in their properties will be able to enjoy more environmentally friendly homes.” Aradhna Lawson, Senior Relationship Director at Santander UK, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Golding Homes through this process which will unlock additional capacity to invest in their homes for residents. We look forward to continuing to work together in the future.” Golding customer Steve said this about his new roof: “I moved in six months ago and am really happy here. I’m really pleased that the roof’s being done. They always let me know what’s going on and I hope it’ll make the house warmer come winter.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Salford housing association Salix Homes has been awarded the highest grading from the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) in recognition of the homes and services it provides for customers. The RSH, the Government body that regulates the social housing sector, has recently completed a thorough inspection of Salix Homes as part of the new standards and inspection programme introduced to help drive improvements in the quality of homes and services in the sector. Salix Homes, which owns 8,000 homes across Salford in Greater Manchester, is one of the first housing associations in the country to be awarded the highest possible C1 (consumer) grading, which is a newly introduced rating system based on performance against the new Consumer Standards. The landlord also retained its G1 grading for governance and V2 grading for financial viability. Sue Sutton, Salix Homes Chief Executive, said: “This is a really positive outcome for Salix Homes and we’re very proud to be amongst the first housing associations to have achieved the highest possible C1 grading under the new Consumer Standards, which reflects our ongoing commitment to putting customers at the heart of our organisation. “This achievement is testament to the dedication and hard work of our workforce, Board and Customer Committee. It also underpins our collective efforts to ensure that our homes are safe and well-maintained, our customers are listened to and respected, and that our services are responsive and effective. “Retaining our G1 and V2 gradings also highlights our dedication to strong governance and financial stability. These gradings assure our customers, colleagues and stakeholders that we are managing our resources wisely and are well-positioned to continue providing high-quality homes and services. “While we are proud of this recognition, we are not complacent. We’re committed to continuous improvement, and we will carry on learning from customer feedback to ensure we can keep delivering a housing service in Salford we’re all proud to be a part of.” In its judgement, the Regulator recognised Salix Homes’ strengths, including: The Government introduced the new Consumer Standards in April this year as part of an integrated approach to social housing regulation, setting the outcomes that landlords must deliver for tenants. Social housing providers have previously been assessed on their Governance (G grading) and financial Viability (V grading), but now there’s a new Consumer (C grading). Launched as part of the Social Housing Regulation Act, the new approach aims to drive improvements in the quality of social housing and services while continuing to scrutinise the financial viability and governance of housing associations. You can read the full judgement about Salix Homes on the RSH website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
Housing association Salix Homes has unveiled its plans to invest more than £20million improving social housing across Salford over the next year. The landlord, which owns 8,000 homes in Salford, has announced its investment programme for 2024-2025, which will see 1,366 homes undergo improvement work. A £10million eco-transformation at neighbouring tower blocks Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court in Greengate forms a key part of the investment programme, aiming to make the buildings greener and more energy efficient. Salix Homes is also installing sprinkler systems in five more of its tower blocks, meaning 14 of its 20 tower blocks will have sprinklers, with the remaining blocks to follow. Other improvement work includes new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, doors, roofs, rewiring and heating systems to hundreds of homes. Sue Sutton, Chief Executive at Salix Homes, said: “As we continue to build new homes in Salford, we also remain dedicated to investing in our existing housing stock to ensure our customers have the high-quality, safe and sustainable homes they deserve. “This investment programme is one of our most ambitious yet, aimed at significantly enhancing our customers’ quality of life by creating safer, cleaner and greener homes and communities. “Sustainability is a key priority for Salix Homes – projects like the eco-transformation at Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court are pivotal in reducing our carbon footprint, tackling fuel poverty, and supporting Salford’s journey towards a greener future. “Additionally, the installation of sprinkler systems in five more of our tower blocks underpins our ongoing commitment to building safety, and we are very proud to continue making a positive impact on the lives of our customers and the broader Salford community.” Work is already well underway at Grey Friar Court and White Friar Court, with the scaffolding now erected. The work is being carried out by Salix Homes’ principal contractor Casey and includes external wall and roof insulation, new windows and ventilation; while the façade and balconies will be completely rendered and transformed. An eco-friendly ground source heating system will also be installed, which, combined with the external insulation will improve the thermal efficiency of the building and help reduce energy bills. The state-of-the-art heating system works by harnessing the natural heat from the ground, rather than burning fuel to generate heat. Salix Homes secured £4million from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) to help fund the tower block project, following a successful bid from the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) on behalf of social housing providers across Greater Manchester. The SHDF scheme provides financial support to social housing providers and local authorities to undertake energy efficiency and decarbonisation measures. The Government has set a target that all social housing should have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) of a ‘C’ rating by 2030, as part of the net zero programme to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions, while Salix Homes has committed to becoming a carbon neutral organisation by 2038. The five tower blocks to get sprinkler systems over the next year are Floral Court and Cheshill Court in Broughton and Black Friar Court, Newbank Tower and Riverbank Tower in Greengate. The improvement work will be carried out by Salix Homes’ partner contractors, including Casey, Connolly and Emanuel Whittaker. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
A £5 million project to replace cladding and improve fire safety at a 74-home central London development has now been completed. The works at Barrington Court in Victoria form part of A2Dominion’s wider programme to remediate cladding at a total of 65 developments to ensure they meet new government safety legislation. Recladding works at Barrington Court Barrington Court, built in 2009, includes a mix of leasehold and social rented homes. A2Dominion invested £5m in replacing the cladding, which includes £1.4m from the government’s building safety fund. No costs have been passed to customers. Saleh Mirza, A2Dominion’s Head of Building Projects, who is responsible for delivering the fire safety remediation programme said: “We first carried out an initial inspection of Barrington Court in 2020 where we found the building used a type of cladding that is now known to be a non-conformant material which is unsuitable for buildings. “Works began in March 2023, and took just over a year to complete ending in June this year. The building now has a new cladding system which is a safe and non-combustible material. Our wider fire safety programme, which involves undertaking fire safety works at 65 schemes, is on track and due to be completed in 2026.” A2Dominion employed contractor Equans to deliver the works with minimal disruption. Solar panels While carrying out safety works, A2Dominion also upgraded the building’s solar panels with the latest technology. The energy supplied through these drastically reduces the amount of power needed from an energy supplier for the communal areas. By introducing the new solar power system, leaseholders in the building will save approximately £6,000 in service charges each year. Continued support offered for customers A team of Resident Liaison Officers and specialist Property and Safety Managers have been supporting customers where fire safety work is taking place. Maaz Khan, A2Dominion’s Senior Property and Safety Manager, who is responsible for managing Barrington Court, said: “One of our key objectives is to improve customer engagement by having a weekly on-site presence. “I have been able to speak to customers face-to-face rather than just over email, which has helped us discuss the building safety works. This collaborative approach has enabled our customers to have their say in decisions about buildings and their homes.” A2Dominion customer Peter spoke about the improvements they had seen in the service they have been receiving and said: “We are seeing results and benefits I never thought we’d see. Residents would appreciate Maaz’s standard and problem solving at A2Dominion moving forward.” Building fire safety programme In 2019, A2Dominion carried out inspections to identify which buildings needed recladding, as part of new safety measures introduced by the government. Although most of its buildings do not need fire safety works, A2Dominion has created a programme to carry out essential recladding to buildings that need it, which included Barrington Court. You can find out more about A2Dominion’s fire safety programme here Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
