social housing

This week’s episode begins with our Relationships Manager, Tina Mistry, speaking to HQN’s Founder and Chief, Alistair McIntosh about our partnership.

Next, Regional Specification Manager, Andy Sturgess takes us through process mapping the SmartLINK Gateway; what it is and how it can help you get the most out of your data and insights.

For the third segment, we revisit our Smarter Homes Safer Communities event and explore ‘Scottish Standards, a template for the UK?’ with Regional Specification Manager, Gregor Morrison and special guests. As always, we round up the episode with an FAQ: how to dispose of your alarms.

Recent trials of various, older concrete block permeable paving projects following long-term use back-up previous research, endorse current minimal maintenance recommendations and debunk misconceptions about clogging up of joints. This research has important implications for the whole life costs of permeable paving on all types of housing. One of the projects involved also reveals major benefits of permeable paving for green infrastructure, particularly trees. 

In this episode we will be speaking with apprentices from Coleg Cambria Electrical, ‘Chewin’ the Facts’ with Tony and Gregor, our National Technical Manager will be speaking with The Fire Industry Association (FIA) and we will be answering a popular FAQ! In a Covid-safe manner, we welcomed students from Coleg Cambria to our Aico TV studio. The students have completed their Expert Installer training and shared their experiences of the training with Regional Specification Manager, Dan Thomas. For more information on Coleg Camrbia please visit: www.cambria.ac.uk Two of our Regional Specification Managers, Tony and Gregor, take us through a day in the life of a Scottish Regional Specification Manager, the impact of recent legislation changes, and go on the road to previous installations. And finally, our National Technical Manager, Andy, speaks with Technical Manager at the FIA, Will Lloyd. They discuss the FIA, their aims and objectives, as well as FIA membership and what this means.

By partnering with social housing landlords to deliver a fully-financed and intelligently operated solar PV and battery storage solution, Solopower aims to support local authorities in reaching their net zero and fuel poverty targets.

Addressing the existential threat of climate change is unquestionably the major driver for decarbonisation efforts globally and is consequently something the whole of society can recognise and rally behind. However, as social housing landlords are all too aware, there is another important stimulus for carbon reduction that is seldom talked about in comparison: the growing issue of fuel poverty.

Noise pollution can have a significant impact on resident quality of life, so should housing associations and commercial contractors be doing more? HA Magazine reports...

Noise pollution was recently listed as second only to air pollution by the UK’s Chief Medical Officer for its negative impact on public health. Studies show that exposure to unwanted noise can contribute to sleep disturbance, hypertension and even diabetes and heart disease.

So, given this, should housing associations and their supply partners be re-thinking their approach to move beyond requirements in Approved Document E to deliver a step-change in acoustic performance - particularly in future developments?

Social housing providers are just one of a wide range of organisations that have warmed to the latest solution to letterbox security from Midlands-based Blockabox. Others taking up the options on the new solution include UK Fire and Rescue Services, Police Forces and wider landlord businesses keen on stopping residential and commercial properties from being targeted  by arson attacks, anti-social behaviour and nuisance and unsolicited mail dropping through doors of void properties and causing potential fire hazards.

In 2018, the Hackitt review required building managers to keep digital building records, from the design and conceptualisation phase through its life cycle. With the boom years of High Rise Residential Buildings (HRRB) development between 1953 and 1972, and with 6544 buildings erected in the half-century following the end of World War 2, nearly all of the remaining 270 HRRBs were built in a pre-digital age.

Thus, in 2021, complying with new design regulations while creating new digital records for those HRRBs presents a major challenge.