Multiple Concurrent Programmes Project

Axis has worked in partnership with Westminster City Council for over 12 years. Together we have delivered multiple concurrent programmes across the London borough. WCC stock comprises 22,000 homes: blocks of flats; houses (including Victorian terraced houses) and listed properties in conservation areas. Tenure is approximately 65% leaseholder owned.

Our Contracts

• Major Internal and External Painting and Repairs (2010-2018)
• Major Works North Area (2018-2028): Association of Consultant Architects (ACA) Term Partnering Contract with Westminster City Council, delivering major works to their entire stock in the Northern side of the borough. Under this Partnership, Axis assumed Lead Designer responsibility from RIBA stage 2 for each project

Each contract’s duration is 10 years, both are valued at £10m. Individual schemes range between £250,000 – £2.5+m.

Our Delivery KPIs

• 100% on time delivery
• 98% defect free delivery
• 100% in budget delivery
• 96.8% resident satisfaction

Axis have been able to deliver works to a high standard, this has been reinforced with high customer satisfaction returns for our schemes. All contracts to date with Axis have been completed within our specified timescale and have been delivered under budget. – Jeff Tourmentin, Head of Capital Programme Growth, Planning and Housing, Westminster City Council.

Scope of Works includes:

• Grade Listed Properties
• Specialist Heritage Works
• Cavity Wall Insulation
• Class 0 redecoration
• Redecoration and Repairs
• FRA Works and signage
• Hard Landscaping and repairs to railings, brickwork, paving, concrete, timber and asphalt
• Internal Communal Areas Refurbishment
• Kitchen and Bathrooms replacement
• Roof Works/ Rainwater goods
• Windows and Doors Replacement/Repairs
• Wood Works
• Drainage works
• DOFF specialist cleaning

M&E Works include

• Heating
• Hot water
• Lighting/installation new communal lighting/Emergency lighting,
• Ventilation
• Replacement of mains electrics
• Decommissioning existing boiler plant/installation new boiler plant
• Replacement boiler flue/valves and controls

Case Studies

The following evidence our scope of works across a selection of our projects for Westminster City Council:

Major Refurbishment, Abbots Manor Estate

The Abbots Manor Estate comprises 10 blocks of flats: Buckland, Evesham, Dryburgh, Sherbourne, Tintern, Melrose, Furness, Kirkstall, Flaxley and Fonthill House. Our external refurbishment programme included general repairs, redecoration and cleaning to courtyards and walkways including repairs. We replaced the panels to the balconies and also completely replaced roofing to some blocks. Internally we conducted general repair work to the walls and floors and painted them in a fire resistant, class 0 paint. M&E works included electrical wiring and installation of new communal lighting and replacement of mains electrics.

Windows Replacement and Repairs, Hallfield Estate

Grade II listed Hallfield Estate in Paddington comprises 14 blocks of flats. We replaced doors and windows, and conducted communal area decorations as well as external works including concrete and brickwork repairs. We also replaced extractor fans. To minimize disruption to residents, we sequenced the works in 5 phases optimising efficiencies to condensing the programme.

External and Communal Areas Maintenance Works, Queens Park

Queens Park comprises 72 Victorian terraced houses. Our three-phase maintenance project here included repair works to roofs, chimney, masonry/ stonework, windows and doors as well as internal repairs and redecorations to common parts and flat entrance doors. Electrical works installed emergency lighting and door entry system. As it is a conservation area, we worked closely in conjunction with the Queens Park Design Charter throughout the works.

FRA Works and EWI, Little Venice Towers

Our Design & Build contract instructed us to carry out essential external fire safety works to six 21-storey tower blocks each housing 125 apartments, in the Little Venice area of Maida Vale. Works included replacement of combustible timber decking to balconies with a new Bauder waterproofing solution and the installation of new external wall insulation (EWI). We also installed Fire alarms within resident flats, AOV systems to bin shoot and door areas and replaced Fire Doors to  electric intake cupboards. We conducted SME corridor upgrade works and also replaced existing non-compliant steel fire doors with fully compliant timber fire doors.

Heritage Reconstruction and Roofworks, Fernhead Road

Westminster CC’s property at Fernhead Road is a Victorian end of terrace property converted into flats. Our Heritage Division reconstructed two bay windows (which were experiencing movement because of shallow foundations) on new foundations and conducted window replacements and additional decoration and also provided a full flat roof replacement service. Our team also completed a programme of repointing to the brickwork and provided drainage works.

Internal and External Decorations and Associated Repairs, Churchill Gardens Estate

Churchill Gardens Estate comprises seven high rise flat roofed blocks of flats containing 630 leaseholder homes (plus sheltered properties) in Pimlico. We conducted the works in two phases to take advantage of the summer months introducing the highly durable WeatherShield paint, which extended the decorations’ cycle from 5 years to 7 years, delivering significant budget savings which were re-allocated to refurbish Darwin House, a local sheltered housing scheme.

Major Refurbishment Works, Westbourne Park

Our scope of works included Roof works, Window and Door Replacements, external and internal repairs and redecorations, drainage works, FRA, electrics and general blockworks in Aldridge Court, Arnold House, Artesian House, Ascot House, Elmfield House, Fermoy House, Great Western Road, Leamington House, Macroom House, St Lukes Court and Windsor Gardens.

More examples

• Communal Ventilation Works and FRA Works, Brunel Estate
• External and Internal Cyclical Decorations and Repairs, Millbank Estate
• External & Internal Refurbishment, Dorchester and Westbury blocks
• External Decorations and Major Repairs, Grade II listed Lillington and Longmore Garden Estates
• External Redecorations and Refurbishments, Carburton and Great Titchfield Street
• External Decorations and Repairs, Gatcliff Close
• Heating, Water and Redecoration, Kemp House,
• External and Roof Works, Admiral House
• External Repairs, Internal Redecorations and FRA upgrade, Ingestre Court, 47 Old Compton Street and Greens Court
• Mechanical, Ventilation and FRA works, Hall and Braithwaite
• External screen replacement and associated works, Torridon House
• 1500m2 flat roof renewal, Downfield Close
• Windows and Roofs, Gloucester Terrace
• Kitchen and Bathroom Programme, Hallfield Estate
• Painting, Retrofitting PV systems, Warwick Low Rise Estate
• Roof Replacement, Fire Door Renewals, Internal  and External Decorations, Devonshire House
• Repairs and replacement to existing kitchens, bathrooms, and W/Cs

Working with Residents

All sites are fully occupied by residents (tenants and leaseholders) throughout each estate project. Therefore excellent communication with residents was essential. Because of our pro-active Resident Engagement Programme we were able to complete the works with minimal disruption to the residents. In addition, we:

• allocated on-site, full-time (6 days a week) Resident Liaison Officers (RLOs)
• opened a permanent site office, The Roundhouse on Hallfield Estate, with an open-door policy so that residents could speak to our team at times convenient to them
• attended Resident and Leaseholder Group Board Meeting, before commencing works, to identify what was important to the residents  particularly the needs of vulnerable and elderly residents
• sent regular follow up reminders to residents about when the works were due to start
•  issued regular news and updates in writing as well as visiting residents and inviting them to consultations and progress meetings and customer roadshows and to join our WhatsApp groups.
•  set up, with the Residents Association, a resident-led, performance challenge team and nominated resident ‘Estate and Block Champions’
• encouraged  candid feedback and conducted satisfaction surveys in several formats

Value Engineering

Axis proactively looks at value engineering opportunities for our client and all the works tendered by Axis through our supply chain. On many estates up to 75% of tenures comprise leaseholders, liable to pay a share for the works. We were committed to driving costs down as much as possible for them.

Phased Works

Phasing our works (for example at Churchill Estate) reduced the overall works period from 36 weeks to 27 weeks and provided a reduction of £13,000 in project costs. At Hallfield Estate we sequenced the works in 5 phases optimising efficiencies by condensing the programme. And whilst works at Little Venice Towers were delayed due to Covid-19, work resumed as soon as on-site activities were allowed and the revised completion timescale of 85 weeks was further improved upon by accelerating the work programme and adding extra labour.

Social Value – more than bricks and mortar!

In addition to keeping residents’ homes safe and comfortable, Axis and WCC believe in supporting the local communities where we work. With WCC we have:

•  mentored local young people into careers
• employed three residents as apprentices onto the contract
• partnered with Construction Youth Trust to deliver online learning sessions to schools/colleges in Westminster throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
• hosted DIY workshops and social clubs
• donated and delivered  Christmas hampers
• conducted a programme of bulb planting on the Queens Park, Hall & Braithwaite Towers, Brunel Estate and Hallfield Estates
• helped residents upcycle the wood from our balcony works to build raised beds on the Little Venice allotment
• refurbished community amenities including Pickering Hall on the Hallfield Estate, Edward Alsop Court, a homeless hostel and Queens Park Community Hut

“I would like to extend my sincere thanks for your contributions towards the residents’ hampers. Your gifts, donations and support to pack and deliver the hampers has been exceptional and they have been very gratefully received” – Westminster City Council’s Neil Wightman, Director of Housing