Press Release
Equans appointed for £13m sheltered housing scheme in Dudley
Equans has been appointed a £13m contract by Dudley Council to radically overhaul two of the borough's sheltered housing schemes.
Equans will revamp Jack Newell Court and Woodhouse Court, to bring them up to modern day living standards; and will work with the council to redevelop the apartments to provide increased floor space to meet national space standards and improve accessibility.
Internal spaces will also be reconfigured to create 12 new homes across the two schemes with another six apartments at Woodhouse Court and six at Jack Newell Court, providing much needed new housing for older people in the borough.
The internal layout of all the flats will be improved, with each flat having its own shower facilities and some flats will have balconies added. The communal kitchens will be enlarged, the communal lounge redesigned and a wellbeing room included.
The transformation will also include rewiring, heating upgrades, lighting improvements, new lifts and fire alarm system upgrades.
An affordable housing grant of £4.8m has been secured for the remodelling of Woodhouse Court and Jack Newell Court from Homes England, which together with almost £9m of council investment will provide modern, remodelled schemes.
For the work to go ahead as quickly and safely as possible, the council has worked closely with the tenants living in both schemes who have temporarily moved out of their properties. The council is fully supporting tenants in this process.
“ This is an exciting step forward in this project and I’m pleased we now have a contractor on board. “This is part of our ongoing programme to provide better sheltered housing accommodation for our tenants, building on our successes in nearby schemes and I look forward to seeing the work get underway. “Thank you to the tenants who have moved out temporarily while these works are being carried out, when they return, they will certainly reap the benefits this project brings.” ”
“ The refurbishment work will dramatically improve the quality of life for residents by providing a safe, warm and modern space to call home. By improving internal layouts and adding bathrooms to each flat, we will create a greater sense of independence and privacy that will allow residents to feel much more comfortable. “The two properties were built in the mid-1980s and currently provide supported housing in a total of 79 one-bedroom flats and communal living areas for people aged 55 or over. ”
Work will continue through 2022 with residents expected to move in early 2023.
About Equans
Equans is a market leader in the sector with 74,000 employees leveraging 200 years of expertise. With revenues of €12 billion, Equans is present in 17 countries - mostly across Europe, but also with significant interests in North America, Latin America and Australia.
In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical, FM, regeneration and energy services – with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district & embedded energy and decentralised renewables.
