Major Works

MAJOR WORKS KEEPING YOU SAFE AND SECURE

Ensuring your continued health and wellbeing

“The Major Works team plays a crucial role in ensuring the health, safety and wellbeing of our residents. We make sure that homes are fit to live in, for residents now and in the future. I’d like to share some of the ways we’re doing this, and some of the key projects we’re working on at the moment.” Thomas Carrol, Senior Programme Contracts Manager at Barnet Homes, tells us about the important role of the Major Works Team.

Some headlines from 2021/22

• We carried out electrical rising mains works on 35 blocks, with 50 more currently on-site • Refurbishment of two sheltered housing schemes, with a focus on fire safety • We completed electrical testing to 2,272 homes which included over 80 full rewires • Works on three blocks to address structural issues • External repairs and redecorations to over 1,000 homes, • Adapting 182 properties to make them more suitable to less-abled residents • Ongoing stock condition surveys to plan for the future. We will carry out twice the amount of surveys in 2022/23 than in previous years. • We are also managing the borough-wide rollout of high-speed fibre broadband in partnership with LBB and Community Fibre.

Sustainability

The Major Works team is at the forefront of Barnet Homes’ plans to significantly reduce carbon emissions and reduce fuel poverty in the borough. Our first target is to improve all homes which are ‘difficult to heat’ by 2030; five years earlier than the Government target. Our ultimate aim is to play our part in stopping climate change and meet carbon zero by 2050.

To achieve this, we will be carrying out works to highly insulate our homes using expert installers. As well as these insulation programmes, Barnet Homes will be installing low-carbon renewable systems such as solar panels and heat pumps to replace gas boilers. For residents, this means a more comfortable home that is warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer and improved air quality. They will also know that by supporting these works they are helping the environment.

We are preparing to obtain grant funding to contribute towards these costs, and have already obtained a Green Homes Grant (GHG) to carry out some of these energy efficiency works. We have added to this funding with our own money. With such a lot of stock needing energy improvement, it was difficult to select where best to start, but have decided to start on works in areas of high fuel poverty and in particular on some of our non-traditional built houses. There is not enough money to do everything we want to do in a single phase, but it is the first in what will be a total of two or three phases of work.

Major Works are not just retrofitting our homes, we are also working with the London Borough of Barnet on their sustainable strategy targets. This includes facilitating sustainable warmth grants for people on low incomes living in private sector homes within Barnet so they can also live in energy efficient homes.

In this way we are helping Barnet Homes build a Barnet that’s fit for today’s communities and the next generation of residents, today!

An update on fire safety

Following the tragic events of the Grenfell Tower disaster, Barnet Homes created a Fire Safety team. The aim of this team is to safeguard and keep safe our residents in their own homes by reviewing the buildings and undertaking various fire safety measures where required.

Our initial priority was the highrise blocks, over 18m.

Three such tower blocks were Templewood, Harpenmead and Granville Point in London NW2. These blocks each consist of 60 residential dwellings housing Barnet Homes tenants and leaseholders.

The following works were carried out: • Installation of a sprinkler system including new tanks and pumps • Upgrade to the existing smoke alarm system • Fire compartmentation within each property and communal areas • New front entrance doors to each dwelling • Replacement of communal fire doors and screens, along with new doors to electrical intake, chute rooms, sprinkler valve and cupboards • Improved signage.

Vallectric were the nominated contractor to carry out the works and quickly engaged with residents through their Resident Liaison Officers (RLOs). This involved discussing the works, how it would be implemented and what impact it would have on the residents.

Close working between Barnet Homes and the Granville Estate Resident Association (GERA) ensured that works were successfully completed to the properties within 9 months.

Whilst the works are nearing completion, we are undertaking many other projects. • Other works carried out by the Fire Safety team includes: • Replacement of non-compliant front entrance doors • Improved smoke and CO alarm installations. • Fire safety works to care homes, sheltered schemes and hostels. • Building a Safer Future – Building Safety Cases. • Fire risk assessments and remediations. • Fire door inspections • Cladding remediation. • EWS1 and structural investigations. • Programming of 5 year low/medium rise fire safety works.