Onward Homes – SHDF Wave 2.1

Oldham, Greater Manchester, England

Project Value: £2m

Introduction

Onward Homes is one of North West England’s largest registered providers of social housing. It manages approximately 35,000 homes across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, and Lancashire.

This scheme, which began in March 2024, focused on 47 terraced homes, set across two streets in Oldham. The properties were built in the early 1900s and featured solid wall designs. As a result, they exhibited relatively poor thermal performance. To address this, Onward Homes, along with Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), submitted a successful bid to commission a multi-measure decarbonisation retrofit project that would be part-funded by SDHF Wave 2.1.

The Project

A property-by-property survey was conducted to determine the specific measures required for each home within the project. These include internal wall insulation and external wall insulation, together with replacement windows and doors to 20 of the properties. Other measures, variously applied, included ventilation upgrades, door undercuts and, in eight cases, the installation of new boilers and heating systems. Delivering these at the same time as the efficiency measures helped to yield valuable economies of scale.

The scheme also entailed the installation of replacement roofs for 44 of the properties. The poor condition of the roofs only became apparent once works started and this resulted in a considerable amount of extra work.

The scheme sought to raise all properties to an EPC band rating of ‘C’ or better. To this end, the plan called for external wall insulation to be installed at the rear of the properties. However, in order to preserve the features and character of the existing facades, it was agreed that internal wall insulation would be used at the front of each home. The obvious benefit of this was that it would leave the outward appearance unchanged. However, the team also recognised that it would inevitably entail more disruption for residents. Effective engagement with local occupants is always a vital part of delivering such schemes but, in this case, it was especially important concern.

Results

Despite challenging weather conditions, which included high winds and an unusually wet summer, the scheme continues to progress well, with a number of properties already handed over. Having engaged with residents, community representatives and supply chain partners well in advance of commencement, SBS staff were able to mobilise quickly. As a result of effective resident liaison, no-access issues were minimised and the team was able to make excellent progress on site.

In addition to enabling important energy savings, SBS also helped to improve conditions in the local neighbourhood. It did this partly by supporting the refurbishment of a local school – St Hilda’s C.E. Primary School. Works included redecorating and installing a new area for hand basins. In addition, following an approach that has proved popular on previous schemes, it also supplied four large skips and invited residents to use them to dispose of unwanted bulky items free of charge. These and other community engagement efforts were very well received by residents and the client alike

The project also included an important social value dimension. As part of the scheme, SBS and Onward Homes hosted a 6-week work placement for two local trainees. One of them, Mohammad, was able to combine on-site experience with the knowledge he gained from completing his Electro Technical Engineering T Level course. As the team noted in a post on LinkedIn, he greatly impressed them with his skill and dedication.

The team also took part in Onward Homes’ fun day, which SBS supported with a donation of £1,000. The event featured face painting, food and drinks, bouncy castles, a live DJ and dancing. Staff also took the opportunity to distribute small treats, as well as energy efficiency advice leaflets and low-energy light bulbs, all of which should help residents to cut their ongoing costs. Further social value measures are also being planned as the project continues.

Client Feedback

Describing SBS’s contribution to the retrofit project, Tracey O’Neill, Assistant Retrofit Project Manager at Onward Homes, said:

“Our Oldham retrofit project has faced several challenges, including achieving the necessary planning approvals, managing the invasive nature of some of the works, and some unforeseen additional works that have only become apparent during the project.

“SBS has remained professional throughout. They have collaborated with Onward to understand the targets and deadlines required as the project evolved, and adjusted their programme of works accordingly. Both the contract and site manager have good knowledge of the retrofit process, and their knowledge has been valuable in overcoming certain technical issues.

“Although the project is not quite complete and has several weeks still remaining, I am optimistic that it will be delivered by SBS in line with the targets and standards required by Onward.”

In a further note about the fun day, she added: “Our contractors have integrated well with the local community, and it was great to see them having fun with local residents at our recent fun day. The impact of SBS’ social value commitment is obvious in this project; we are collaborating closely with SBS and have more exciting social value proposals to discuss and implement within the duration of this project.