Westdale Midlands worked with Sedgemoor District Council to regenerate 45 non-traditional homes in Cornwall.
Maintaining and refurbishing non-traditional constructed homes can pose a multitude of challenges, especially with regards to more complex work such as asbestos removal and mansard roofing.
Westdale performed the roles of Principal Contractor and Principal Designer for this project, allowing us to manage the planning and delivery of the entire project. This ensured it was completed on-time, in-budget and with minimal disruption to the residents.
A Wide Scope
Westdale was contracted to provide a comprehensive external refurbishment package, which included:
- Enabling works
- Chimney removal
- Mansard roof replacement
- Asbestos removal
- External wall insulation (EWI)
- Soffits, fascias and rainwater goods
In addition, through the duty holder roles of Principal Contractor and Principal Designer, we managed the delivery of several supply chains and sub-contractors. This allowed us to ensure the project was planned correctly from the outset.
We developed the Construction Phase Plan, completing all statutory notifications including HSE F10, liaising with key contacts for utilities, planning permissions, building control regulations and the control of asbestos.
This led to the ambitious programme being delivered within just 26 weeks. Work was sequenced intuitively to minimise inconvenience to residents.
Our experience allowed us to develop a realistic programme which was within <5% tolerance, exceeding our clients expectations of contract duration, as our delivery timeframe was a fraction of our competitors. This also had a positive impact on minimising resident inconvenience, which was particularly important as many of them were either elderly or infirm.
“You could not ask for a better bunch of men. They were so polite, answered any questions you had and cleaned up properly behind themselves. They were brilliant.” – A Sedgemoor resident
Community Communications
We focused on allaying residents’ concerns through a thorough community engagement exercise with residents. This included opportunities for them to meet the team who would be delivering the work and providing advance notice of the noisiest elements of the work, providing further reassurance.
We also co-branded a range of communications materials with our client, which we ensured were in the most appropriate languages (Welsh, English and foreign translations). Our innovative test message system was used to provide timely reminders and updates to residents.
This enhanced communication, as well as the high standard of work, led to an overall customer satisfaction score of 8.86/10 (Net Promoter Score) and some fantastic feedback from residents.
Bespoke Scaffolding Solutions
These properties had an irregular roofing construction method, which required enhanced consideration at the product design stage. This was in accordance with the Working at Height Regulations, and adherence to the Hierarchy of Control principles of NASG SG25:10 to ensure appropriate scaffolding design.
We appointed CISRS-registered scaffolders who were issued permits to work, and ensured safety with controls including ladder locks, debris netting, foam scaffolding protection to first-floor level, and toe guards. ‘Scaff tags’ were inspected on a weekly basis.
The Final Finish
ArtBrick was used extensively during the scheme, for both practical and aesthetic purposes. Used at low level, ArtBrick reduces the effects of weathering on renders positioned close to the ground, as well as being more easily repaired in the case of vandalism or accidental damage.
Westdale is the leading ArtBrick-approved applicator in the UK, with a wealth of experience in leaving a quality finish indiscernible from brick and allowing renovated properties to fit in with the surrounding community.
