Ashfield District Council - Lower Coxmoor External Wall Insulation Scheme

Ashfield District Council is a Local Authority managing approximately 7000 council homes across Ashfield, (North Nottinghamshire) with a mission to deliver excellent housing services to the communities in which it operates.

J Tomlinson has had a positive long-term relationship with the Council stretching back over more than ten years. In 2015, J Tomlinson was appointed to carry out more than £30m worth of improvements to the housing stock.

The Lower Coxmoor project was delivered to 36 bungalows, housing tenants of whom the majority are elderly and/or disabled.

The bungalows are not constructed of a traditional brick and block cavity wall, but from a timber frame with external cladding. This type of construction is not very thermally efficient by modern standards, and the works that needed to be undertaken were extensive, including external wall insulation with render finish, replacement roof covering with integral solid roof insulation, new soffits, fascias and gutters/down pipes, replacement windows and external doors.

Ashfield District Council worked closely with J Tomlinson throughout this particular scheme, with a view to reducing tenants’ heating bills with the added benefit of minimising carbon emissions.

Resident engagement

Ahead of any works taking place, dedicated J Tomlinson Resident Liaison Officers (RLOs) visited residents to explain the process of the works that needed to be undertaken on behalf of J Tomlinson in more detail, taking the opportunity to gauge a comprehensive understanding of each tenants’ individual needs, so that these could be accommodated safely and effectively.

Upon consulting with residents (and, in some circumstances, the trusted family members and carers of residents), the RLOs liaised with Site Manager, who then tailored site inductions and the order/process of works to the needs of the tenants, with a view to minimising disruption as much as possible. The J Tomlinson team stayed on site each day throughout and following completion of the project, providing support to residents and the rest of the team, whilst liaising closely with the client’s site-based representatives.

Sustainable materials

A number of features were implemented into the project to increase sustainability; these included the fitting of aluminium tiles and insulation to the roof, which were 100% recycled and have a 50-year life span. Additionally, ‘A’-rated double-glazed windows were fitted with each property to increase thermal efficiency and security.

Tenants were provided with a selection of finish options for their new doors.

High quality finish

Despite adverse weather conditions, the project was completed within budget and to a high standard, gaining excellent feedback from the client and residents on the scheme. The improvement works have reduced the heat loss in the bungalows and therefore will keep fuel bills to a minimum.

Both Ashfield District Council and the Lower Coxmoor residents were thrilled with the standard to which the works were completed, with J Tomlinson receiving multiple ‘thank you’ notes from some of the tenants they had worked with.

HIGH-QUALITY FINISH– upon completion of the project, two residents who had initially declined to be on the scheme opted back in and requested works be undertaken on their properties

MINIMAL DISRUPTION – the J Tomlinson team’s sensitive and coordinated approach to the project ensured minimal disruption to tenants and the local community

HIGH TENANT ENGAGEMENT - J Tomlinson organised a Coffee Morning during the works in aid of a local fundraising charity that the tenants on the estate were supporting. Resident Liaison Officers transported a few of the elderly tenants to the venue and returned them home after the event. This created an opportunity for the tenants to make friends

PROFESSIONAL AND COMPASSIONATE APPROACH – J Tomlinson worked hard to accommodate residents’ and tenants’ complex needs, liaising with trusted family, friends and carers when possible

APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINING – an apprentice RLO and an apprentice plumber worked as part of the core team with excellent guidance from the site manager and RLO, providing them with invaluable career experience