With a successful partnership of delivering high quality estate regeneration projects, Higgins has renewed its place as one of the preferred developers on Notting Hill Genesis’ Development Contractors Framework. The framework, which will run for the next four years, will support the delivery of a variety of vibrant mixed-tenure and
Leading wireless fire detection and alarms manufacturer Hyfire has supplied over 550 cutting-edge detectors and other devices to ABCA Systems for installation in social housing developments across London, protecting the residents of five landmark tower blocks. Notting Hill Genesis, one of the UK’s largest independent housing associations, with more
Henley Construct, a division of the Henley Homes Group, has completed the transformation of a former council office site in Wembley, handing over much needed affordable housing to Notting Hill Genesis. The developer has delivered 248 new apartments of affordable and private sale homes to the housing association, alongside circa
One of London’s largest housing associations is to undertake a comprehensive safety review across a six-block residential development following expert advice that the construction of the buildings may be putting around 1,000 residents at risk. Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) asked all residents living in the Paragon Estate to leave immediately
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
With a successful partnership of delivering high quality estate regeneration projects, Higgins has renewed its place as one of the preferred developers on Notting Hill Genesis’ Development Contractors Framework. The framework, which will run for the next four years, will support the delivery of a variety of vibrant mixed-tenure and mixed-use schemes across its large development pipeline, which is made up of affordable and private homes for rent or sale, as well as commercial properties and a focus on creating thriving communities. Notting Hill Genesis plans to deliver 7000 new homes over the next five years, in the Greater London area. Steve Leakey, Managing Director of Higgins Partnerships comments, “We already have a well-established partnership working with Notting Hill Genesis on projects including Peckham Place in Peckham, the recently completed Woolwich Reach in Newham and City Park West in Chelmsford. We are pleased to have secured our position on their development framework and look forward to working together to deliver more homes within sustainable communities. “This framework also gives us the opportunity to work with other registered housing providers operating within the Greater London area who already registered and have access to the framework.” The developments will range from 50-unit urban infill sites to estate regeneration projects creating thousands of new homes. These will be delivered through various development models, including purchasing sites to develop themselves, working with the public sector and other developers in partnership or joint ventures and acquiring section 106 units from private developers. For further information about Higgins Partnerships please visit www.higginspartnerships.co.uk
Leading wireless fire detection and alarms manufacturer Hyfire has supplied over 550 cutting-edge detectors and other devices to ABCA Systems for installation in social housing developments across London, protecting the residents of five landmark tower blocks. Notting Hill Genesis, one of the UK’s largest independent housing associations, with more than 65,000 properties in and around London, was looking for a fast and sustainable solution to upgrade the fire systems in its properties, with as little disruption to residents as possible. After careful consultation and extensive research, ABCA specified Hyfire wireless devices, which can be programmed and installed in minutes to offer maximum protection, with no need for wiring or redecoration. Anthony McKinnon, Contracts Manager at ABCA, said: “With rapidly evolving fire safety regulations and best practice, social landlords are taking a no-compromise approach to fire safety, recognising the need to offer protection and reassurance to occupants of all properties. Wireless is the fastest and most flexible way to deliver this and, as Hyfire is the most experienced player in the wireless market, we knew that their wireless detectors and other devices could offer the reliability and quality demanded by Notting Hill Genesis.” Hyfire offers the widest range of commercial standard wireless fire devices on the market, ranging from optical, multi-criteria and heat detectors to notification, alarm, interface and control units, all fully certified to EN54. All products offer the highest performance and quality in the industry, and are also fully compliant with BS5839 Part 1. Fire panels are wired via a loop to translators, from which wireless devices can be used on their own to build fully wireless systems of virtually any size, or mixed with Hyfire wired products to provide seamless hybrid solutions, offering total flexibility to specifiers and installers. Robert Bruce, Regional Sales Manager at Hyfire, said: “Social landlords like Notting Hill Genesis are under intense pressure to deliver rapid enhancements to the fire systems in residential properties, so they need the very best professional commercial fire protection. By working with innovative installers such as ABCA, they are coming to realise the benefits that wireless can offer. In fact, professionals working with Hyfire wireless products no longer consider wired devices unless they have to. “Whereas many people think of wireless devices as being best suited to large industrial sites or historic buildings, they can also offer logistical advantages in the social housing sector. Simple and hassle-free installation can offer cost savings on redecoration, cabling and labour. It’s possible to be in and out of the property in minutes, minimising the upheaval for residents and offering long-term reassurance, while also limiting contact during the current pandemic.” All Hyfire products are developed by fire industry pioneers in Trieste Italy, the global centre for wireless fire device design. The Hyfire range includes all devices required to build a fully wireless commercial fire system, including manual call points, remote indicators, visual indicators, sounders, sounder bases and output/input modules. A range of addressable translators and expanders are available, processing up to 32 devices each, with the scale of the system limited only by the number of devices that the fire panel can handle. Hyfire has also recently introduced EvacWireless, a rapid and scalable solution to meeting the BS8629 evacuation alert standards in residential buildings over 18 metres. Sarah Leahy, Contracts Manager for Notting Hill Genesis, said: “In high-rise social housing blocks, with many residents shielding from COVID-19, the benefits of the wireless installation are clear. Our tenants want peace of mind, but many are elderly and they don’t like upheaval. Instead of creating cable channels in walls and ceilings, wireless installers need just a few minutes in each apartment to fix and test the Hyfire devices. The tenants are then reassured that they have long-term, sustainable fire protection, with none of the inconvenience that a wired system would have caused.” Hyfire was launched as Sterling Safety Systems in 2002, bringing to market some of the first commercial wireless detection and alarm devices fully certified to EN54. Since then, the Hyfire brand has become synonymous with quality, reliability and innovation in the commercial fire sector. Hyfire devices are available for Advanced or Kentec panels and come with a five-year warranty, backed up by a dedicated partner programme to ensure the best survey, installation, commissioning, after sales service and exceptional technical support.
Henley Construct, a division of the Henley Homes Group, has completed the transformation of a former council office site in Wembley, handing over much needed affordable housing to Notting Hill Genesis. The developer has delivered 248 new apartments of affordable and private sale homes to the housing association, alongside circa 6,000 sq. ft of retail space to include a Sainsbury’s Local. The apartments, retail space and landscaped public plaza sit on the 1.9 acre site which was home to the outdated 1960’s council building, known as Brent House. The mixed-use development includes two linear buildings of five principle blocks ranging from seven to 10 storeys high. Henley Construct, a division of Henley, applied modern construction solutions for the scheme utilising DfMA principles for efficiency by building steel frames off-site in its own lightweight steel factory, Intelligent Steel Solutions. By controlling up to 40% of its supply chain, Henley favour the use of light weight steel frames its own developments as well as for its clients, including the social housing sector, due to efficient costs and tighter delivery programmes, without compromising on design, quality and sustainability. By manufacturing off-site, Henley aims to reduce its carbon footprint by minimising site waste removals, reducing traffic movements and using recyclable materials in construction. Aaron Usmani, Director of Construction at Henley, comments: “Thanks to significant time and cost efficiencies due to our in-house manufacturing capability, we were able to deliver precision engineered, high quality housing of varying tenures at scale and pace for Notting Hill Genesis. This ultimately reflects our ethos that everyone should have access to quality housing, regardless of whether they are renting or buying.” “We are proud of what we have delivered at Brent House, which introduces a positive change to the immediate vicinity of the site, enhancing the character and wider regeneration of Wembley.”
One of London’s largest housing associations is to undertake a comprehensive safety review across a six-block residential development following expert advice that the construction of the buildings may be putting around 1,000 residents at risk. Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) asked all residents living in the Paragon Estate to leave immediately in order to protect their health and safety while further investigative work is undertaken. NHG said that it would ensure that all residents living in the Paragon Estate were able to access safe alternative accommodation this week. It will also work with residents to find a longer-term solution to their housing needs where necessary. The further investigations will establish the full extent of the structural and fire safety issues that have been uncovered at the development and identify next steps. Earlier building performance issues, together with fire safety issues related to the cladding and the subsequent new government guidance since the fire at Grenfell Tower, triggered a series of safety checks at Paragon, undertaken by technical consultants, which have each revealed further problems with this development. Notting Hill Genesis said the action it has taken to address these risks as they have arisen, include establishing waking watches and temporary alarms, and introducing simultaneous evacuation procedures, but the latest advice has prompted the group to act in order to protect its residents. Kate Davies, group chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: “First, I want to say how sorry we are to residents that we have had to take this action and disrupt their lives. But, as a not-for-profit housing association, our priority is to provide safe, affordable housing. We always ensure the wellbeing of our residents, so while we are incredibly disappointed to have to make this decision, we believe that we have no choice but to ask people to leave their homes on the Paragon estate. “I understand that Paragon residents may feel angry or alarmed by this news, as they have every right to be. This is a very distressing time and we are genuinely sorry for the huge amount of disruption and uncertainty that this situation will cause. “This is a complex situation and we don’t yet have all the answers. We are working to uncover the full extent of the issues at Paragon so that we can provide residents with clarity about timescales, next steps and options as quickly as possible. “We are doing all we can to support people who live in Paragon through this difficult situation. We have identified safe accommodation for everyone to move into this week and are providing financial as well as mental health and wellbeing support to help them do that. We are also giving everyone a dedicated caseworker to discuss their specific needs both now and for the longer-term where necessary.” Paragon is a development of six blocks containing a total of 1,059 homes in Brentford, Hounslow. It was developed by Berkeley First, part of The Berkeley Group plc. The estate was owned initially by the former Presentation Housing Association, which became part of Notting Hill Housing – now Notting Hill Genesis – in 2009. Notting Hill Housing group, which became part of Notting Hill Genesis group in 2018, acquired Paragon in 2009. The six blocks consist of the following: Block A – a five-storey building consisting of 41 units of intermediate market rent. Block B – three interconnected buildings of four, five and nine storeys with 107 shared ownership leasehold units and 72 intermediate rent. Blocks C, D, E and F – 17, 12, 12 and five-storeys respectively, hold a combined 839 units of student accommodation which is occupied by students nominated by the University of West London. There is no suggestion that any other buildings in the Notting Hill Genesis portfolio will require a similar approach to the one being taken at Paragon. Buildings are being investigated and prioritised based on factors such as height, external materials used and evacuation procedure, and residents informed if further investigation or remedial work is required. Where necessary, and in consultation with fire safety assessors, interim safety measures such as simultaneous evacuation procedures, supported by 24-hour patrols and temporary alarms are in place.
