Homes in Havering March 2012 with cover

coverA3 171:Layout 1 23/03/2012 11:28 Page 1

BUILDING DESIGN &

CONSTRUCTION THE MAGAZINE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

www.richard-irvin.co.uk ISSUE 173

Onsite Energy Self Sufficiency

ISSUE 173

GRANT SHAPPS:

Ensuring the productive and optimal use of energy resources, while limiting environmental impact Richard Irvin offer a broad range of energy services and are committed, with the use of energy audits, to realise the energy value of an estate, and meet the client’s energy demands. We deploy different options in order to decrease wasted energy levels therefore reducing imported energy costs

SOLAR THERMAL INSULATION SERVICES AIR SOURCE/GROUND SOURCE MICROWIND BIOMASS BOILERS HIGH EFFICIENCY BOILERS UPGARDES

RICHARD IRVIN SUSTAINABLE ENERGY Irvin House, Hareness Road, Altens Industrial Estate, Aberdeen AB12 3LE TEL: +44 (0)1224 367180 FAX: +44 (0)1224 367181

BUILDING DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

THE NEXT GENERATION OF GREEN PROPERTIES

ALSO INSIDE... HOMES IN HAVERING | ETDE | CITY RESPONSE | THE FORESTRY COMMISSION | ARDMORE GROUP ...PLUS MUCH MORE

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 16

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING ne of the consequences of the Decent Homes Standard programme being phased is that some of the early authorities have completed the work some time ago while others still have a long way to go. Another, as Homes in Havering has found to its cost, is that the current economic situation means that late entrants have less money than they anticipated to complete the programme.

Homes in Havering is the arms length management organisation (ALMO) for the London Borough of Havering and manages over 12,000 properties, 10,194 of which are tenanted homes and 2,224 are leasehold properties. Kevin Hazlewood joined as Director of Property Services in September 2010, when it had recently been awarded two stars by the Audit Commission and had just received its first tranche of money for the Decent Homes programme.

O

REDUCED DECENT HOMES AWARD “With the change of government and the comprehensive spending review, we were required to rebid,” he recalls. “We did this in partnership with our parent company, London Borough of Havering, and then we received the revised allocation to Decent Homes. The original allocation was £112 million and then our revised award was £63.7. So we’re working with a lot less resources than we first

Homes in Havering is the arms length management organisation (ALMO) for the London Borough of Havering and manages over 12,000 properties

PRIDE IN HOMES AND COMMUNITIES 16

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 17

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING anticipated but we have remodelled and re-phased all of our work in order to to achieve the Decent Homes Standard by the end of year four, which will be 2014-15. We will be at 90% compliance with decency by then.”

There is a corporate drive to transform the area generally and a big part of this is making environmental improvements. However, the government has made it very clear that environmental improvements are not now to be funded from Decent Homes money, although the original concept was that they would be. That means there is less money to play with and the focus is purely on achieving decent homes. So Havering had to re-phase and reprogramme a lot of the work it was planning to do.

Apart from the re-phasing and reprogramming, Homes in Havering also looked at how it would deliver the work and came up with a solution that Kevin believes is unique when compared to similar organisations that often rely on framework agreements or long-standing contracts. He says: “We’ve had to look very carefully at how we deliver the work, so we’ve moved into something which I call a mixed economy of delivery.

“We have a partnership agreement with Morrison Facility Services that includes some capital work, so we use that for a proportion of the programme. We’ve also got our own framework for window and door replacements that we tendered separately and we’re a member of the LHC, which

Kevin Hazlewood Director of Property Services

provides public sector framework arrangements and which we’ve used in the past. The final method is that we are obtaining mechanisms to deliver through traditional tendering. So we’ve got the whole spectrum from a pre-agreed schedule of rates with a partnering contractor right the way through to letting the market decide how we do it.”

NON-TRADITION HOUSING A significant challenge to the progress of the Decent Homes programme is that the borough has over 800 non-traditional houses with a wide variety of construction types. This means there’s no standard solution that can be can used and each type presents its own particular difficulties that have to be worked around. A further problem was that, at the start of the revised bidding process, Havering’s level of non-decency at 57-58% was thought to be the second highest in England. This rose further to 63% of non-decency as a result of changes to the standard for 2011-12. So Havering was starting later than many and with reduced funding but had more to do if it was to hit the required level.

As Kevin points out, this all meant a thorough re-appraisal was needed before the programme could get properly started: “We went right back to the stock options appraisal that was done for setting up the ALMO. We systematically worked through each of the assumptions and scenarios that were in there and, where we could, reconfigured them either by pushing them to a later date or approaching them in a different way.

“Bear in mind, we’re doing this in the same context as self financing coming in as well. What we looked at first was the benefit of the mixed economy, so we

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

17

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 18

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING

could get more bang for our buck. Secondly, because Havering hasn’t been doing major investment work, we’ve had to open ourselves up a little bit, create relationships with contractors and suppliers that perhaps weren’t in place originally. We’ve had to do that very quickly and that’s been successful, so it’s definitely going in the right direction.

But it’s always on the premise that the money for years three and years four comes through.”

VARIED APPROACH The programme is taking a varied approach to achieve its aims. Kitchen and bathroom replacements for the coming financial year, for example, are to be based on a geographical balance. This enables a more even spread of work to be programmed with the partnering contractor, resulting in a better balance that will enable a steady progression towards the end of the financial year for the spend. Other work is focused more on working through by property types and non-traditional houses since the different construction types require varying approaches. This has proven to be quite successful although it may have to be reviewed and moved to a more geographical basis.

Unusually for a London borough, Havering only has fourteen residential tower blocks and there’s a separate rolling programme for those. “We’ve done two this year, which we did as a pilot in the way in which we organise it,” explains Kevin. “We actually had three contractors working together — two partnering contractors and an energy provider contractor. We had that working and it’s proven very successful for us in terms of cost efficiencies. We’re doing seven in 2012-13 and then we’ll roll the rest of the programme on.”

18

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 19

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 20

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING

Eagle Asbestos 143 London Road Camberley, Surrey GU15 3JY Tel: 01276 682468 Mobile: 07723094800 e-mail: info@eagleasbestos.co.uk web: www.eagleasbestos.co.uk Eagle Asbestos is a full HSE Asbestos Licensed contractor that specialises in providing asbestos and hazard abatement solutions across the UK. Our client portfolio includes local authorities, housing associations, retails and leisure, both in private and public sector. We have worked across variety of fields undertaking projects from small domestic site up to large-scale contracts. Whether it is a one off project or fixed term contract we are adaptable enough to deliver. The client needs are paramount when providing advice on the particular requirements of asbestos remediation. We have achieved CHAS accreditation for health and safety as well as registration with Constructionline, Safe Contractor, CSCS platinum membership and are in the process of acquiring Exor. Our unblemished heath and safety record is testament to our professional approach for all projects irrespective of their size.

Our services include: 4Asbestos consultancy 4Asbestos management 4Building maintenance 4Reinstatement/refurbishment 4Asbestos labour supplying

4Asbestos encapsulation and treatment 4Environmental cleaning 4Asbestos removal/asbestos abatement 4Soft strip demolition

4Asbestos Surveys to Commercial, Domestic & Industrial Properties 4Competitive Rates 4Operate Nationwide 4UKAS Accredited 4Management Surveys 4Refurbishment/ Demolition Surveys 4Fire Risk Assessments

MILES GRAY ROAD, THE ALPI BUILDING BASILDON, ESSEX SS14 3HJ T: 01268 535345 F: 01268 293409 M: 07834 379615 E: admin@cubeservices.co.uk W: www.cubeservices.co.uk

20

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 21

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING

Many of the non-traditional houses were in a poor state of repair and are extremely difficult to keep warm and dry, with a lot of condensation issues. The main aim is to provide warmer homes and the work is being done on that basis. The properties in the worst condition have been prioritised, with the priority for non-traditional houses being based not just on the condition survey but also in terms of other background information such as complaints received and repair activity.

“What I didn’t want to happen was to put us into narrow boxes where we’re starting at one end of the borough and working our way through because that’s not how the stock works,” comments Kevin.

“Properties can’t be done that way, especially with the lack of investment that’s gone on in the past. We

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

have some stock that’s only been done four or five years ago, which we call first generation window renewal, so there has been investment in that. So we try to get a balance between condition, location and procurement strategies that we can bring in.”

COUNTERING ASBESTOS Most of the recent work has concentrated on the usual Decent Homes areas of new kitchens and bathrooms, weather proofing and efficient heating.

However, a big proportion of the stock was constructed during the period 1945-64 and many of the properties have asbestos in some form. The registers are up to date and due process is followed so all contractors are informed prior to starting. In some instances, the chosen solution to the problem is

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

21

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 22

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING

encapsulation rather than removal, especially externally such as for bin closures. It’s generally achieved through a hessian type of sealing material, which encases the asbestos in an impermeable coating.

Whilst the Decent Homes programme has been going on, other work still continues as well. Kevin says: “We’ve not forgotten other parts of the buildings and we continue with our internal redecoration of staircases and providing floor coverings in the common areas of properties through our management fee. We’ve continued with our other programmes although they’re on another scale perhaps compared to some other colleagues. But for us, it’s important that there is still ongoing underlying investment while we’re delivering the four year Decent Homes programme.”

Part of this ongoing work is an affordable warmth strategy that aims to deliver improved energy efficiency through the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) capital programme. This has included looking at sustainable energy sources although progress has been slowed by changes to the feedin tariff. “Insulation, new windows and class A boilers are our principle drive but we want to look at alternate methods as well,” remarks Kevin. “We had done a very small pilot scheme of PV cells and we’re in discussions with an organisation on how we can roll that through. But because of the feed-in tariff reduction, it’s taken a hit and so we’re just being cautious on this.

“When we replace a kitchen, we replace the boiler as well because it’s generally located there and so it’s common sense to do it. We always install a class

22

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:25 Page 23

setting the standard for specialist coating We are the specialist coatings company, combining fire protective coatings for internal communal areas with solutions for internal and external graffiti problems.

> FIRE PROTECTION > ANTI GRAFFITI > SIGN & DESIGN Hubdean Specialist Coatings working with Homes in Havering and Morrison fs. Fire Damage Rectified at Farnham Road The use of these coatings meant Homes for Havering’s safety standards were not compromised and smoke damage was easily removed and recoated.

The topcoat also has the advantage of Graffiti being easily removed without any damage to the coating. All Hubdean Specialist Coatings fire upgrading works within Havering provide a Free of Charge Graffiti removal service for 24 months after completion, on a monthly visit basis.

BEFORE Hubdean Specialist Coatings sets the standard for specialist coatings Designed to project: > Housing > Communal Areas > Public Buildings > Shopping Centres > Schools > Hospitals > Multi Storey Car Parks > Walkways > Underpasses

It is essential that any coating intended for use in public areas be durable and able to stand the rigors of daily use. In addition many public areas are the subject to continued graffiti assault. The importance of an anti graffiti coating should not be overlooked. Hubdean’s products have been designed to maintain its attractive appearance for the duration of its life cycle.

AFTER > 100% Graffiti Removal > Free Graffiti Maintenance Service > Highly Durable-Extending Life Cycles > Simple Continued Maintenance > Training Available For Maintenance Staff > Professional Support Service > Highrise Communal Areas > Lowrise Staircases > Sheltered Accommodation > Schools > Entrance Foyers > Hospitals > Public Buildings

HUBDEAN SPECIALIST COATINGS Unit 3 Wornal Park, Menmarsh Road, Worminghall, Buckinghamshire HP18 9PH

T: 01844 33 88 33

F: 01844 33 88 44

W: www.hubdean.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 01/04/2012 08:26 Page 24

PARTNERING IS THE KEY TO ANY SUCCESS

Our success in delivering capital planned roofing works and programmes with Homes in Havering is testament to our partnership with Morrison. Our attention to detail in the work that we manage is one of our key drivers, to delivering and understanding our specific customer needs.

Under our partnership with Morrison We place a significant importance on ensuring our Health and Safety arrangements are produced with the others in mind, as we interact with the residents, general public and within multi-contractors environment.

This partnership covers a varied range of roofing schemes and products including roof coverings and the upgrading of the roofing insulation values, bringing it in line with current legislative requirements.

Homes In Havering are currently delivering an extensive roofing programme in its borough, where the need for strong relationships, understanding and communication are vital.

This has been delivered with great success and the future not only looks bright but water tight.

T: 020 8525 4620 E: info@partneringcontractorsltd.co.uk W: www.partneringcontractorsltd.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:26 Page 25

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING

A boiler, which we also do when one breaks down and is beyond economic repair. We’ve got a programmed approach for Decent Homes and we have a set allocation of funds for when boilers break down.”

INVOLVING RESIDENTS A big feature of the Decent Homes programme and other work is resident involvement, with a property improvement steering group that is dedicated to the property function. Prior to commencement of any works, discussions are held there and tenants are notified of what is planned. Separate meetings are held with leaseholders and tenants, both general needs and sheltered, because tenants are generally interested in the detail of what is proposed while leaseholders want to focus mainly on the cost to them.

The leaseholders are essentially people who have purchased a flat in one of the blocks. In some cases, they have to go along with work that affects the block generally but at other times can choose whether to have the job done. A big benefit when they opt to go ahead is that Havering has over £60 million to spend through the Decent Homes programme and so there are cost saving to be made through the buying power that brings.

Nevertheless, the cost can be high and the organisation is discussing with the council alternative payment methods to try and ease the economic burden on leaseholders and allow them to spread the payments over a longer period.

Tenant involvement also applies to the repair and maintenance side of the operation where a partnering board looks at the strategic direction and service delivery. The board comprises members

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

25

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:26 Page 26

HOUSING: HOMES IN HAVERING from Homes in Havering, tenant representatives and from Morrison Facility Services that handles all the repairs through a a partnership agreement. All repair requests come in through a Homes in Havering contact centre, are prioritised and are then passed on to Morrison for action. They are handled through an automated system that schedules the work and issues appointments to tenants.

Performance is monitored through a system of SLAs and KPIs, weekly operational meetings to discuss issues and feedback from tenants.

CONTRACT RENEWAL The repairs and maintenance contract is due for renewal in July 2013 and Havering is currently exploring a number of different avenues in how it can procure that. Competitive dialogue is the favoured route at present and is used by others for repairs and maintenance. The intention is to set up a ‘tendering panel’ that will be made up of all key stakeholders that will include staff, residents — both tenants and leaseholders — board members and other interested parties. This panel will monitor and manage the procurement process all the way through and so is a big initiative for Havering.

In terms of the investment work, it’s really about trying to broaden the network of suppliers and contractors. Although there’ll always be an element of the capital programme going through the partnering contractor, currently Morrison, the aim is to have a broader base of suppliers and contractors for the work. This recognises that Havering is currently

quite limited around the housing stock side and there’s a need to address that.

Kevin acknowledges that the economy is particularly difficult and budget cuts aren’t helping, especially given the organisation’s late start on the Decent Homes programme. However, he believes there are some positive outcomes as well: “I do think we are playing catch up to some degree and that the economic climate has definitely added challenges. But it’s also adding opportunities through the amount of efficiency that can be done through procurement and renegotiation. It’s just a matter of trying to do things slightly differently rather than simply relying on accepted methods, such as automatically adding on extra cost for inflation every year. We’re challenging a huge amount of the preconceived, pre-agreed ideas so there’s a better balance between risk and reward.

“We want to achieve a better experience for our tenants and to move away from just doing things without telling them. We really are trying to involve more and more tenants in the process and through our maintenance services we’re looking at a number of initiatives for improving safety and security.

We’re also trying to get involved in the government sponsored WRAP initiative, which is about the recycling of appliances and furniture.”

ON TARGET Despite the challenges, the Decent Homes programme is progressing well and is on target, both in terms of delivery and spending. The first two

years are now virtually guaranteed and there is confidence the rest will follow on. After that, there are further challenges that partly result from the demographics of the borough. A mix of very wealthy areas and others that are predominantly social housing often make it difficult to obtain funding. Added to that is an ageing population that poses potential future problems.

“To the best of my knowledge, we’ve got the highest percentage of residents in London that are over the age of 65,” comments Kevin. “I think we have about 36-37%, which is quite high, and that obviously poses challenges in terms of vulnerability.

It’s about how we work together with colleagues in adult social care. We have to ensure that we get the work done with no adverse effect on people’s dignity and that people are not put at risk or put in harm’s way by what we’re doing.

“It’s not just about the physical disabilities, it’s also about the mental disabilities such as dementia. So we have to be mindful of how we manage this and we do have our own resident liaison officers. We CRB check all our contractors but we want them to employ resident liaison officers as well to cover that loop. We’ve just reissued a working protocol between us and adult social care on where we’re doing major works so there is a joined up approach between the ALMO and the council in this.” www.homesinhavering.org Tel: 01798 434000

FOURWAYS PLANT LTD Established as a scaffold company in 1983, Fourways is relied upon as being a ‘one-stop-shop’ considering customer satisfaction a priority.

Our portfolio includes scaffolds at prestigious sites such as Parliament Buildings, The British Library and Kensington Palace. Our well reputed scaffolding service is complimented by our additional products including passenger & goods hoists, man safety netting and plant items.

We specialise in providing professional, co-coordinated solutions to project requirements. > Premium Scaffolding Service > CSCS Operatives > Haki 750 Roof System > Haki Staircase Installation > Cable & Platform Hoists > Man Safety Net Installation > Asbestos Removal License > PASMA Accredited Mobile Towers > Plant Hire & Site Fencing Services > Servicing London and the South East > 24 Hour Emergency Service

26

BUILDING DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION MAGAZINE

FOURWAYS PLANT LTD SECOND AVENUE, MONTAGU RD EDMONTON, LONDON N18 2PG TEL: 020 8884 3339 FAX: 020 8807 8477 enquiries@fourwaysplant.com FOURWAYS PLANT LTD 232 CARTER STREET, FORDHAM ELY, CAMBS. CB7 5JU TEL: 01638 721424 FAX: 01638 721432 fordham@fourwaysplant.com

www.fourwaysplant.com

www.bdcmagazine.co.uk

homes in havering:feature 2 23/03/2012 13:26 Page 27

are proud to be working in partnership with installing PVC-u windows, doors and external wall insulation to over 1,500 homes, in and around the borough of Havering.

Anglian Building Products provide sustainable solutions for large projects: 4External wall Insulation

4PVC-u Windows and Doors

4Cavity wall Insulation

4Renewables

4Loft Insulation

4Fascias & Soffits

ANGLIAN BUILDING PRODUCTS 59 Hurricane Way, Norwich, Norfolk NR6 6JB Tel: 0870 428 0274 Fax: 01603 420500 Email: abp@angliangroup.com Web: www.anglian-building.co.uk