Refurbishment project a great success
In late June, partners and representatives from approximately twenty housing associations visited various Chevin properties in South Kirkby to see first-hand the refurbishment work that is taking place.
The purpose of the visit was for people to see the refurbishment process in real life from beginning to end through the various stages in actual homes.
Visitors were given an outline of how the project began and how the works have been planned over a three year period with continual involvement of the local community. They were also given a demonstration of the "Sustainable Retrofit" model that is being applied to this scheme and may eventually be used as a new standard for the industry.
Fifty-four homes in South Kirkby are currently undergoing major refurbishment works. Bramall Construction, working in partnership with Chevin Housing Association are stripping the homes back to the brickwork and replacing everything - only the original brick shell will remain untouched.
The homes once complete will be like brand new incorporating amongst other things: super insulation, ‘A' rated heating systems, brand new fitted kitchens and bathroom suites. Internally the homes are being totally re-designed in order to make the living space more practical. Energy efficiency has been kept in mind with the heating/electricity systems being much more energy efficient leading to lower utility bills. As part of the project the South Kirkby Tenants Association at Community House will also be refurbished creating better dedicated meeting rooms and office space.
Twenty one of the homes have already been completed with the remainder being scheduled throughout 2010 with a completion date of Summer 2011.
Sam Sykes, Asset Strategy Manager at Chevin said "This was a great day, all the feedback we have is very positive. Other Housing Associations were impressed by the way we had concentrated on improving the fabric of the building with extra insulation, rather than adding lots of expensive equipment like solar panels, This approach is less expensive, more effective and will require less maintenance in the long term. They also liked the way we have taken the community into the planning and delivery of the programme for almost half the price of new build - and that's good value for money".
David Smallman, Bramall Partnership Manager commented "We thought the day went really well and provided a great insight into the work that Chevin and Bramall do in partnership. We hope to continue working alongside them in order to enhance the lifestyles of the many residents we work closely with on our schemes."
Photographed: Sam Sykes, Asset Strategy Manager at Chevin talking to visitors about the reinvestment work at South Kirkby.
