Equans partners with Leeds City Council to deliver energy efficiency improvements
Equans is delivering energy efficiency improvements to hundreds of flats across Leeds on behalf of Leeds City Council, as part of a £25m energy efficiency improvements scheme.
Work has involved the transformation of seven tower blocks as part of Leeds City Council’s drive to deliver high-quality homes while also tackling fuel poverty and the climate emergency.
Residents are now benefiting from the improvements, which have been completed at six of the blocks – Parkway Court, Parkway Grange and Parkway Towers in Seacroft and Lovell Park Grange, Lovell Park Heights and Lovell Park Towers in Little London. Work at the seventh block, Moor Grange Court in West Park, is due to finish in the coming months.
The works have included the reroofing of buildings and the installation of new external wall insulation and ventilation systems, allowing residents in the 600 -plus flats across the seven blocks to benefit from lower energy bills. The external appearance of the tower blocks has also been enhanced with the addition of new rendering and fittings.
Due to the improvements, the average annual energy costs for each flat are expected to halve, while the amount of CO2 being produced by the average property is predicted to drop by around a third. It will also support the drive to cut carbon emissions across the city.
The scheme received £9.6m from central government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, with the rest of the cost being met by the council. It forms part of a wider £100m programme of council-led work across Leeds, with large numbers of buildings having already received or due to receive energy-saving upgrades to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and tackle fuel poverty.
Sean Corcoran, Regional Director at Equans, commented: “The transformation of these flats will have a long-lasting positive impact on residents’ lives by making their homes more comfortable and reducing energy bills at a time when living costs are so high.
“Housing is one of the biggest contributors to the UK’s carbon emissions, so projects like this play a crucial role in improving the environment. We’re proud to be supporting the council in its ambitions to make Leeds a more sustainable place to live.”
Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, recently visited the completed Parkway Tower’s and spoke to residents and members of the project team about the difference the scheme already making for local residents.
He said: “Reducing Leeds’s carbon footprint is a priority for the council, but it’s important that this is done in a fair way that also helps improve standards of living in all our local communities.
“The benefits of such an approach are perfectly demonstrated by the changes at these flats in Seacroft, Little London and West Park, where emissions and energy bills are both set to be significantly reduced.
“The scheme is also testament to the power of partnership working, with Equans playing a vital role alongside the council in bringing about a bright new era for the properties and everyone living there.”
About Equans
In the UK & Ireland, Equans, a Bouygues Group company, is a provider of sustainable facilities management and regeneration, and cutting-edge energy and digital services. Our 15,000 employees combine these activities to help businesses, communities, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero - and also the digital & industrial transitions that are together redesigning the way we move, work and live.
Globally, Equans is a world leader in the energy and services sector, operating in 20 countries, with 90,000 employees working on five continents and annual sales of nearly €18 billion.
