Project Details

In 2022, Peabody and Islington Council successfully bid for £785,000 in the first wave of the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) which was established to retrofit homes with an EPC of D or lower and raise it to C or above. Peabody contributed a further £1,500,000 and employed Axis to conduct their SHDF-funded Retrofit Energy Efficiency Measures.

Wave 1

We successfully improved the energy efficiency of 66 social homes in four blocks on the Palmer Estate: 1-16 Davidson House, 1-12 Dibden Street, 1-24 Lampson House and 1-12 Palmer House along with five houses (1-5 Warrender Road) in Islington.

Our team conducted a full retrofit assessment and ventilation surveys. Our enabling works included diverting the gas supply (carried out by Cadent) and removing or re-routing all services (security systems, electric cables, gas pipes, sprinkler systems, BT /satellite cables, boiler flues, pressure reducing valves and overflow pipes) and any railings, lighting and security gates away from the brick face of the buildings.

Thereafter, we installed external wall insulation to three blocks and replaced the roofs at two blocks, also extending the gable ends on one to protrude the insulation.

We also installed cavity wall insulation and replaced the windows at two properties and either replaced completely or increased the loft insulation to three properties and addressed areas of cold bridging.

To ensure compliance we worked in partnership with building control, the fire brigade, architects and structural engineers and with consultants Happy Energy Solutions.

Overall Project Specifications

• Full retrofit assessment
• Ventilation surveys
• Decant and recant of residents
• Scaffolding
• Enabling works
• External Wall Insulation
• Roof replacement and roof works
• Cavity Wall Insulation
• Window replacements
• Replacing/increasing loft insulation

Benefits

• Improved airflow, air tightness and ventilation.
• Improved EPC rating from a D to C/ C to B rating
• Improved insulation
• Cost savings in energy bills
• Enhanced living conditions
• Helps client with commitment Net Zero Targets

Specifications to individual properties

Lampson House, (Warrender Road)

• New roof
• Installation new UPVC windows
• External decorations
• Communal decorations
• Ventilation works in flats
• New extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms

1-5 Warrender Road (next to Palmer House)

• Ventilation
• New flooring
• Insulation
• Windows

“The house before the new windows and the insulation was really cold in the winter months. You’d get a breeze through most of the doors and through the windows, so yeah it’s a lot warmer with the new ones. They do look fresher and cleaner. Everybody was quite helpful, any questions they were there to help, any problems they came and fixed them and rectified it” – Warrender Road resident

Dibden Street (off Essex Road)

• New roof
• Installation external wall insulation
• Ventilation works in flats
• New extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms

Palmer House (Warrender Road)

• Installation external wall insulation
• Ventilation works in flats
• New extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms
• Door undercuts, trickle vents to windows

Davidson House, (Warrender Road)

• Installation external wall insulation
• Ventilation works in flats
• New extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms

“I’m extremely happy because before I had a lot of mould in my bathroom, it was really bad for my health. The bathroom needed to be cleaned every other week with bleach or with vinegar and now I’ve got the most beautiful bathroom, they changed my sink, the bathtub, the toilet. I’ve got a new flooring; the walls are in a really nice pink colour and it’s just lovely.  And I also have a new ventilation so I it’s beautiful, I’m really happy” – Davidson House resident

Our residents

The properties (both social and sheltered housing) are home to 92 residents who will see, as a result of our works, better insulation and reduced utility bills. During the works, Axis’ teams of Resident Liaison Officers (RLOs) held face-to-face meetings and hand delivered letters to keep residents up to date on our progress. We decanted and rehoused some residents for the duration of the works as we had to isolate their gas supply and were not able to reconnect it until the insulation works were complete.

“Axis were fantastic, they kept me informed, they sent me text messages or WhatsApp messages every time I had an issue or a question, they came straight away to help me and all the workers were extremely friendly and helpful” – Davidson House resident

Wave 2

A further £25m from the SHDF second wave fund (which Peabody is matching) will allow our client to retrofit a further 6,539 homes.

“Peabody is working with various stakeholders to improve on our portfolio, we have also delivered SHDF Wave 1 now and we’re in the process of delivering Wave 2 which is over thousands of properties involved in those projects and again preparing to deliver Wave 3” – Rashida Kutubu (Peabody Senior Project Manager)

Axis and Retrofit

Axis’ many fully-qualified Retrofit Co-ordinators can undertake government funded retrofit under PAS 2030: 2019.  By gaining PAS 2030: 2019 certification, Axis’ retrofit installers demonstrate that they have installed energy efficiency measures which meet the required specifications, and in accordance with TrustMark standards.

Axis Retrofit team is fully qualified under PAS 2035 compliancy standard to conduct whole-house retrofit works. PAS 2035:19 emanated from the Each Home Counts independent review and takes into account technical and occupancy comfort and lifestyle requirements – ‘whole building’ or ‘whole house’ energy retrofits of existing domestic dwellings.

Client Relationship

Axis’ relationship with Peabody goes back to 2002 with Galleons as we gain new contracts and have existing contracts renewed or extended. Most recently we won a place on Peabody’s 10-year £340m Planned Internal and External Refurbishment Works Programme. Our works for Peabody include: window and door replacements, roof replacements, external envelope and re-cladding works and voids.

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