refurbishment

Ferrier Point, a 23 storey residential tower block in Newham, East London, became the focus of national attention during the cladding crisis after investigations revealed that its exterior was fitted with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding, the same hazardous type implicated in the rapid fire spread at Grenfell Tower. In response, Newham Council undertook a full recladding programme, and by 2019 the building had been completely stripped of its ACM façade and upgraded with VitraDual® - an A1, noncombustible precoated aluminium rainscreen cladding system from Valcan. 

With the Zenura collection of sheet vinyl, IVC Commercial can respond to the need for cost-effective floors that enhance the lives of people living in social housing.

With growing focus on social housing providing a good standard of accommodation or tenants, providers are considering flooring outside of the regulatory requirement for its use in bathrooms and kitchens. The consensus is that providing suitable flooring in all areas of the home positively impacts the physical and mental wellbeing of tenants, but concerns still exist as to the cost, ongoing maintenance and refurbishment of floors. 

Local authorities and housing associations across the UK face mounting pressure to deliver safe, compliant refurbishment and new build programmes, often within severely constrained budgets and challenging timescales.

Nowhere is this more evident than in high-rise projects, where replacing windows at height has traditionally meant extensive scaffolding, increased risk and significant disruption to residents.

UK Boxings’ range of pre-made fire sprinkler boxing provides a consistent finish to retrofit installations by concealing pipework, quickly and easily, which helps save time and money on site compared to site fabricated alternatives.

Following the dry summer of 2025, the Environment Agency has warned that even with average winter rainfall some areas in Britain will still be in drought next spring. 

The recent weather pattern variations can only compound the existing concerns about the anticipated UK water deficit. To offset the predicted daily deficit of 4017 mega litres per day by 2050, major water companies have been developing plans to upgrade the UKs water supply and reduce current usage from 150 litres per person per day to 110. 

Howard Trotter, Business Manager at Shelforce, has worked closely with local authorities for many years, explains why full-system testing and demonstrable test evidence are now essential for local-authority refurbishments.

As local authorities and housing associations continue to navigate one of the most tightly regulated eras our sector has ever seen, one principle is becoming non-negotiable; products going into people’s homes must be proven to perform, not assumed to perform.

Selecting the right cladding system involves more than just the initial purchase price. The most cost-effective solution is a balance of upfront cost, long-term durability, minimal maintenance needs, and regulatory compliance. Valcan’s Ceramapanel (fibre cement) and VitraDual (solid aluminium) complete systems offer high-quality, non-combustible options that prove to be sound financial investments over their lifespan.