The Wates Group is set to expand its presence in London with the appointment of its Living Space business to deliver Brent Council’s Major Works programme across its social housing portfolio.
The £35m Major Works contract commenced in July this year and will run for 80 weeks with works including new windows, lift refurbishments, and the installation of new kitchens and bathrooms.
Wates will also undertake work to support Brent Council’s fire safety and compliance, including the installation of new sprinkler systems alongside full mechanical and electrical upgrades.
External wall insulation will also be installed, forming part of Brent Council’s investment to increase the energy efficiency of its homes as part of its wider social housing retrofit strategy.
The new Major Works contract builds on Wates’ existing work on behalf of the council, which includes the refurbishment of four high-rise blocks to install external wall insulation, heating and lift refurbishments.
Work for Brent Council also includes a range of retrofit installations to increase home efficiency following Wates’ successful retrofit pilot, which reached completion at the end of 2021. The project saw the Wates Retrofit team install energy efficiency measures in void properties, taking them from an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E to B, exceeding the Government’s 2030 target for social housing.
James Gregg, Managing Director of the Wates’ southern planned maintenance division, commented: “Having worked with Brent Council over the past eight years, we understand their needs and what they want to achieve for their residents. This places us as an ideal repairs and maintenance partner and will enable a smooth and efficient mobilisation in the coming weeks and months.
“There are many strands to social housing repairs and maintenance, all of which are important, not least fire safety compliance and energy efficiency retrofit. Delivering these aspects concurrently, as we will be for Brent Council, is a very effective way of ensuring that all repairs and maintenance needs are prioritised and delivered with real value for money.”
