Current Major Works

Major Refurbishment Contract

We are undertaking a programme of major refurbishment work to blocks of flats (not including the tower blocks).

Work will vary from block to block and will be dependent on a detailed survey of each block. This work will not include maintenance and repair of your own premises, which will normally be the interior parts of your flat. Your lease should have a definition of what is included within your premises and therefore, what is your responsibility.

The whole town-wide programme of work will be carried out over five years. We will let you have a programme showing which year each block will have work done, once all the work is planned.

To see the progress we have already made, take a look at the presentations from our partners Wates and Mulalley.

As a leaseholder, you will be aware that under the terms of your lease, you are required to contribute towards the costs of this work. We have produced details of the types of Major Works consultation process and our Payments Options policy.

How we get from estimate to invoice

Prior to works starting at an individual flat block, joint surveys are carried out by our Contractor, SBC’s Clerk of Works (CoW), the Project Manager (PM) and external Building Surveying consultant (Faithorn Farrell Timms - FFT) and the proposed scope of works is provisionally agreed.

The Section 20 estimates are sent to the leaseholders including an additional 10% for contingency and 6% management fee and excluding monies already paid by Leaseholders in the last 10 years that fall in to the following parameters;

• Where temporary repairs have been carried out whilst waiting for replacement under the MRC. This would include items such as patch repairs to a roof that is now being replaced in full.
• Works that need to be re-done. This would include items such as the tidying of the IRS cables which were not secured as we would have liked during the preparations for the digital switchover.
• Original build defect, i.e. a missing French drain
• Any works to the Council owned flats, i.e. a window replacement to tenanted flats
• Any works to any other Leasehold owned flats. Leaseholders are offered the chance to have their windows replaced at their own cost and make this payment separately.
• Any works that are not necessary to the buildings structure but are something that the Council would like to achieve across its housing stock. This would include the door entry systems and block signage, all of which are being installed at no cost to any leaseholders.

All estimates are based on the original tendered schedule of rates (SoR) that the contractors submitted when bidding for the contract. Where there is no SoR available, a provisional sum will be included, and the costs agreed by SBC prior to works commencing.

Depending on the observations received, we may adjust the proposed scope of works before raising the works order with the contractor.

Contractors arriving on site

• The contractor will contact all residents to advise of start dates for works and provide contact details for their Resident Liaison Officer (RLO).
• The CoW will monitor works throughout and will confirm when works are completed, the quality of the works and the exact quantity.
• Once the contractors are on site, they will be able to undertake more intrusive surveys of the roof and high level works that may not have been possible without the scaffolding. If additional works are identified, the CoW and/or the PM will authorise only where considered necessary.
• If any of these additional works do not have a costs as per the SoR, the rate/quote will be assessed by the CoW, PM and FFT. All areas of the budget are monitored throughout the works.

Once works are completed at an individual block

• The contractor will submit their final account for the block including all of their re-measures.
• The CoW will do a further check on the quantity and quality to ensure that we agree with the details that the contractor has submitted. If any defects are identified, the contractor will be tasked with making right. We do not recharge any leaseholders for any defects but reserve the right to recharge for any additional works that may be identified at this time.
• Once the CoW is satisfied that all works are completed to the desired standard, the PM and FFT will also assess the final account.
• Once they are confident that all costs are correct, the final account is passed to the MWO.
• The MWO will assess all the works based on the aforementioned parameters, remove all non-rechargeable costs and calculate the individual property recharge. If the costs are of equal value to or exceed the original estimate, the contingency will be included.
• The final invoice and information pack is then sent to the leaseholders.

The Council has taken into consideration the current economic climate and have made the decision to never recharge any leaseholder an amount higher than the original invoice.

Major works by area

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic we are re-programming the remaining years. This will be updated soon.

If you would like to discuss anything you have read here or have any further questions, please contact us.

LEASE offer lots of impartial advice regarding your leasehold property.