ACHA tenants gear up for major home improvements

 

Contractors appointed to deliver first phase of £261million programme

Tenants across Argyll and Bute can start looking forward to a multi-million investment in their homes, following the appointment of contractors by Argyll Community Housing Association Limited (ACHA) to carry out the work. Almost £12million will be spent upgrading tenants’ homes over the next 12 months.

The improvement programme, the most ambitious ever undertaken in Argyll and Bute, will see tenant’s homes fitted with replacement kitchens and bathrooms, new heating and rewiring and replacement doors and windows. In addition, where required, there will also be an ongoing roof and roughcast replacement programme.

Lochgilphead-based M & K MacLeod will be carrying out the majority of the window and door replacement work, Gas Call will be managing the heating and rewiring programme, and Connaught the majority of the kitchen and bathroom replacements. PME Carillion will be carrying out the kitchen and bathroom work as well as window and door replacement in the Lomond area.

ACHA has devised the improvement programme in consultation with tenants and work has already begun on surveys of tenants’ homes in order to deliver the programme as efficiently as possible. The first installation work is expected to begin in early July (2007).

ACHA chief executive Alastair MacGregor commented, “We are delighted with the progress made since the completion of the transfer six months ago and the imminent start of the home improvement programme marks a commitment to quality homes for all our tenants. Having carried out a great deal of tenant consultation work in the run-up to transfer we know how important this improvement programme is and we are continuing to work closely with tenants to ensure that the work is delivered as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

"I would also like to stress that this programme represents only the first phase of improvement work. There will be plenty of opportunities for contractors to bid for further ACHA work on an ongoing basis.”

Across Argyll and Bute over the next 12 months ACHA is intending to replace 644 kitchens, 635 bathrooms, the windows and doors of 293 homes, rewire 446 properties and replace the heating systems in 402 homes. 

These contract awards represent the latest stage in ACHA’s eight year programme to bring all of its homes up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by 2015. Further contracts for other necessary work will be tendered and awarded on an ongoing basis.

The overall improvement programme, as set out by ACHA in its offer to tenants in 2005, will see over £261 million spent on tenant’s homes over the next 30 years.