Facelift for Falinge

An image of some of the completed work in Falinge

A scheme costing more than £300,000 to improve another area of the borough is now complete.

The Creating Great Neighbourhood improvements made to the Falinge Hill estate were implemented over the period October 2009 to July 2010 and were done so following an extensive consultation exercise which first began in back in 2007.

Paramount to the success of the scheme was the input of local tenants and residents, local Councillors and the local housing team who decided between them what environmental works they felt were necessary.

Environmental Improvements Programme Co-ordinator, Paul Dockerty, said: “I am extremely satisfied with the quality and range of improvement works which represent excellent value for money and should improve the quality of life of the tenants and residents on Falinge Hill for many years to come”

Phase one consisted of internal works to the lobby areas which included; the provision of aluminium security doors, an upgrade to the intercom system including new fob reader, hand sets and firemans’ switches, the replacement of external wall mounted light fittings, painting of the ceilings and floors and the replacement of timber communal windows with UPVC windows.

Safeguard Security Solutions Limited, a local specialist security company with whom RBH has set up a joint venture, carried out this element of the scheme.

The second phase concentrated on external environmental works which included; new fencing, new clothes drying facilities, steel fencing to the fronts of the flats, new timber fencing and gates to the rear and landscaping to Century Gardens.

This part of the project was undertaken by NAB Contractors Limited, again a local specialist, groundwork, landscape and fencing company who have worked on several environmental improvement projects in the borough.

A customer feedback survey hand delivered to residents, shows 94% of the respondents were satisfied or extremely satisfied with the overall project.

The Creating Great Neighbourhood is an ongoing coalition between Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH) and Rochdale Council

The scheme coast £316,000 in total and was funded by a combination of surplus funds in the Housing Revenue Account, the commission received from the water collection agreement with United Utilities and capital programme environmental budgets.