Articles

Taking an holistic approach to the changing seasons

Joe Bradbury of Housing Association Magazine discusses the importance of protecting tenants from the extremities of our climate.

Last week saw the hottest day on record. As Britain (and most of Europe) was steeped in sun, temperatures rose to as high as 38.1C (100.6F) in parts of the country.
Whilst most of us saw that as a chance to don a pair of shorts and sit outside, it cannot be dismissed that extreme weather in either direction can spell disaster for vulnerable people.

Tata Steel is pleased to announce the launch of its new Platinum® Plus guarantee, designed to offer assurance to architects, specifiers and building owners with the provision of tailored specification advice, technical support and a guaranteed system performance of up to thirty years.

The Platinum® Plus guarantee provides customers with the assurance of a high-quality, robust and enduring building system, supported by Tata Steel’s comprehensive service. This includes tailored specification advice to suit the building’s function, technical assistance and on-site installation checks, all to ensure long-term performance and confirm that it is constructed correctly, subsequently lowering the cost of ownership through the building’s life.

Specifiers offered the Platinum® Plus guarantee can be confident that their Tata Steel system has been designed with the specific needs of the project and the building’s end-function in mind, featuring high-quality components carefully selected from a range of compatible roofing and cladding products. All components will have been independently tested and certified, as well as being responsibly sourced and fully traceable through the manufacturer’s reputable supply chain partners. What’s more, as a result of Tata Steel’s status as an EPD Programme Operator, the manufacturer can provide third-party verified, product-specific EPD’s, helping to contribute towards a more sustainable means of construction and increased BREEAM and LEED scores.

Preston-based family business Readyfix has experienced steady year on year growth and as a result have further invested in a second warehouse at their premises on Croft Street. The business, which employs 35 staff, added an extra 350 pallet spaces, equivalent to the size of a football pitch, allowing the 27-year-old firm to hold onto their ‘huge stocks’ promise as they continue to grow.

Started in 1992 by Richard Burwood, Readyfix supplies construction site materials, fixings and consumables to some of the country’s largest housebuilders and contractors as well as sub-contractors and independent tradespeople throughout the North of England. The company sets itself apart by offering impeccable customer service and next day/same day deliveries by their own drivers.

Polypipe Building Services, the UK’s leading manufacturer of commercial drainage systems, has saved dozens of people in West Yorkshire from being moved into temporary accommodation.

 The Kent-based business enabled residents at Carr House, in Wakefield, to remain in their homes during a major social housing refurbishment project by recommending the use of its best-in-class component fabrication and live stack replacement service.

Polypipe was approached by housing association Wakefield and District Housing (WDH) to manufacture a solution to replace the 11-storey building’s “aged and blocked” cast iron internal soil stacks.

WDH agreed to Polypipe Building Service’s live stack replacement solution to use 22 stacks of Terrain FUZE, manufactured offsite, as it would be easy-to-install and allowed the residents of Carr House to remain in their homes during the refurbishment work. 

Leading cold rollforming manufacturers, Hadley Group, will be bringing its expertise in light gauge steel solutions to stand C1 at the OFFSITE EXPO this year, as well as being a gold sponsor of the dynamic event.

Taking place on 24th – 25th September at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry, Hadley Group will showcase its high-performance light gauge cold rolled steel framing solutions for low rise residential buildings. Suitable for stick built or pre-panelised construction, the company can complete load bearing stand-alone structures including roofs, walls, floors, door and window openings, bracing and external finishes.

Components of the steel framing systems are designed, detailed and manufactured at the company’s advanced production facility then delivered to site, which is ideal for housing schemes with high volume requirements and for projects where space is limited on site. Offering a lighter and easier to erect alternative to steel or concrete primary frames, this fast track, lightweight steel housing system will significantly improve build turnaround times.

Whatever your stance is on Brexit, immigration compounding the housing shortage was an important motivating factor that led many people to opt out of the EU. The subsequent uncertainty has resulted in many EU nationals leaving the UK; has that made the housing crisis any better? Or was decades of chronic under investment from all political parties (sadly still prevalent today) really to blame all along? Housing Association Magazine Editor Joe Bradbury investigates…

Way back in December 2012, Prime Minister Theresa May claimed in an evocative speech that over a third of all new housing demand in Britain was as a direct result of immigration: “There is evidence that without the demand caused by mass immigration, house prices could be 10% lower over a 20-year period,” she commented.

HAs dealing with tenants with problems sometimes face anger. One way of mitigating that is to make sure that HAs are able to solve tenant problems quickly. Joe Bradbury looks at how HAs can mitigate tenant anger with failing heating systems.