Equans completes decarbonisation of Rochdale estate

The Louise Gardens homes received external wall insulation, new roofs, windows and doors, as well as mechanical ventilation and complemented with environmental works

Sixteen bungalows in Smallbridge have been regenerated by Equaans, part-funded through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) Wave 1 – a government-led funding stream aimed at improving the efficiency and performance of the UK’s housing stock.

The Louise Gardens homes received external wall insulation, new roofs, windows and doors, as well as mechanical ventilation and complemented with environmental works. All these measures were in accordance with PAS:2035 and PAS:2030; a framework for the design and installation of energy efficiency measures to existing buildings in the UK.

The work, completed on behalf of Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), has made the homes more sustainable and energy efficient, reducing heating bills and increasing thermal comfort significantly for residents.

One resident said: “All workers were lovely, very polite and very helpful”, while also citing “cheaper” energy bills as a result of the work. Another resident noted a “much warmer” home, with “much lower” bills.

This is not the first regeneration work Equans has undertaken in the area; it follows the refurbishment of 23 bungalows adjacent to Louise Gardens in 2022, and the ongoing works to 30 properties in Kirkholt, also in partnership with RBH.

These schemes were undertaken by Equans’ specialist Refurbishment & Sustainability team in the North West, and are part of a wide portfolio of refurbishment and decarbonisation work helping clients to reduce their carbon emissions.

Neil Warburton, Refurbishment Director at Equans, said: “It’s great to see our team finishing work on such an important scheme, less than 12 months after completing similar regeneration work in the area.

“Equans has a strong footprint in the Smallbridge area, and it’s great to see our expertise providing more sustainable homes for residents. The Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund is a great opportunity to decarbonise the UK’s housing stock, and we’re looking forward to delivering an ever-growing pipeline of work for our partners across the North of England.”

Abid Hanif, Head of Asset Performance and Investment at RBH, said: “Building on the success of Buckley View, RBH is proud to have delivered a further phase of a whole house fabric first retrofit and improve the quality of further homes for its customers as part of its commitment to carbon reduction.”