More than £13 million has been invested in bringing two of Dudley Borough Council’s sheltered housing schemes up to modern living standards. The refurbishment of two schemes originally built in the 1980s, include upgrades to the heating systems that involves the installation of more than 100 Stelrad low surface temperature (LST) radiators across the two schemes.
The two schemes – Jack Newell Court in Sedgley and Woodhouse Court in Quarry Bank – originally provided 79 one-bedroomed flats and communal living areas for people over the age of 55. Following the securing of an affordable housing grant of £4.8 million and almost £9 million of council investment, the newly modelled buildings now provide apartments with increased floor space and improved accessibility. Plus the reconfiguration of internal space has created twelve new homes across the two schemes, six at each development – to provide much needed accommodation for elderly people across the borough.
The internal layout of all the flats has been improved with each flat having its own shower facilities and some flats now have balconies as well. The communal kitchens have been enlarged, the communal lounges re-designed and a wellbeing room included at both schemes. The transformation has also seen rewiring, heating upgrades, lighting improvements, new lifts and fire alarm system upgrades.
The main contractor for both schemes was Equans and Spectrum M&E were the heating installation contractor. CPS supplied the radiators from its branches in Halesowen and Kidderminster.
“We’re delighted to have been asked to supply radiators from our leading range of Low Surface Temperature radiators for these scheme heating upgrades,” says Stuart Dixon, Stelrad’s Specification Manager for the Midlands and East Anglia. “Our LST range is the perfect fit for sheltered housing schemes where older and more vulnerable people rely on our ‘safe to touch’ heating products. The radiators come with cleverly designed casings that never reach more than 43 degrees C, allowing the radiators to provide the levels of heating needed for comfort heating whilst ensuring the people living close to them cannot come to harm by touching hotter radiators or if they fall, falling against a hot metal surface. We’re seeing these radiators selected for care and nursing homes, healthcare buildings and sheltered housing schemes up and down the country – even in schools, colleges and universities and other healthcare buildings like doctors and dentists’ surgeries. They have a major role to play in sharing heat around buildings where additional protection is required.”
To find out more about the Stelrad LST range head for www.stelrad.com/trade.
