Generating a buzz in Bury

The future is looking somewhat green for tenants in Bury if the ambitions of its social landlord come to fruition

The ALMO Six Town Housing is looking ahead to some serious eco-initiatives following the completion of its conventional Decent Homes programme – not least is its ambition to become an energy generator.

Now that might sound a little ‘blue sky’ for a housing organisation, and to some extent it is, given that it is in the very earliest stages of discussing the concept, but it points to the potential that micro-generating technology offers.

“We are looking at forming an ‘energy creation co-operative’, pulling in a number of ALMOs and RSLs in the North West to see how we can combine our efforts,” said John Bowker, director of technical services. “We are looking to work with a company called Horizon Enterprises, to pool our assets to generate solar, wind and hydro-electric energy. It’s all at the very early stages, but the idea is that the income derived from generating the power will enable us to cover the cost of installing these measures.”

As yet, there’s no reason for established energy producers to start mopping worried brows, but the notion of a more localised form of energy generation is beginning to set up home within conventional thinking. Technology, of course, ever advances so it is not so far-fetched The status with the HCA puts the organisation on track to begin realising a further ambition – and that is to build new homes. Again, it’s early days, but Six Town, in partnership with the council, is putting in plenty of groundwork to prepare for future delivery.

“We’ve done a full review of all our garage colonies across the borough, many of which have already been demolished,” Bowker said. “We are looking to utilise existing derelict land to build new homes to tackle the massive demand for affordable homes there is in the borough.”

The ALMO was established in 2005 to manage Bury Council’s 8,300 properties. Since going live it has invested over £30 million in the stock and is on target to complete its Decent Homes programme towards the end of this year, opening the door to these latest ambitions.

As you might expect, Six Town has made the most of its refurbishment work to benefit the local community above and beyond the physical improvements to homes. The organisation ensured that over 25 per cent of labour on site was local and it to see a day coming when the balance of power – pun intended – tips away from Big Energy towards a host of smaller, localised generators.

In one sense, it will represent a turning of the circle, harking back to the days when energy production was a more localised, municipal affair.

The future beckons for Six Town Housing, but there’s still plenty of down to earth measures it can – and is – enacting to improve the environmental performance of its homes as well as benefit tenants.

Expect the basics, such as loft insulation, cavity wall insulation and more energy efficient boilers, conducted as part of, or alongside the Decent Homes work, but beyond this the organisation is looking to take things to the next level with a full-on ‘green’ retrofit programme.

“We’re currently doing a low carbon pilot scheme, where we are looking to do a full eco-homes assessment before and then after the completion of a scheme of energy efficient installations,” Bowker said. “That will tell us how much of a difference in terms of performance the energy efficiency and low carbon measures are performing in practice.”

Sowing the seeds of a greener future involves changing habits and minds. Six Town is addressing that with workshops and information programmes for both tenants and staff. The organisation has also put itself through a full Sustainable Homes assessment to garner an insight into its own eco-performance – so that it can practice what it preaches.

Green homes are all very well, but if there is not enough to meet the needs of local people, then it’s of little comfort to them. In Bury, the council has some 3,000 households on the waiting list for an affordable home, so it has welcomed the news with some excitement that Six Town has recently achieved preferred partner status with the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA).

The status with the HCA puts the organisation on track to begin realising a further ambition – and that is to build new homes. Again, it’s early days, but Six Town, in partnership with the council, is putting in plenty of groundwork to prepare for future delivery.

“We’ve done a full review of all our garage colonies across the borough, many of which have already been demolished,” Bowker said.

“We are looking to utilise existing derelict land to build new homes to tackle the massive demand for affordable homes there is in the borough.”

The ALMO was established in 2005 to manage Bury Council’s 8,300 properties. Since going live it has invested over £30 million in the stock and is on target to complete its Decent Homes programme towards the end of this year, opening the door to these latest ambitions.

As you might expect, Six Town has made the most of its refurbishment work to benefit the local community above and beyond the physical improvements to homes. The organisation ensured that over 25 per cent of labour on site was local and it stressed the importance of training and apprenticeships.

“We have been working with schools to identify the people who are interested in careers in housing and construction, and working with colleges and training providers to see where we can maximise local benefits,” Bowker said.

One of its latest training-related activates has seen it working with GM Procure on a training scheme that targets ex-offenders. Six Town has been running the programme with GM Procure and other partners for the last year on its external painting framework. The participants are placed with painting contractors and it leads to NVQ level two qualifications in painting and decorating.

This is a collaborative project that offers work and training contracts to ex-offenders known as prolific and other priority offenders (PPOs), in the very neighbourhoods in which they used to offend to help them rebuild their lives and reduce neighbourhood crime.

A spokesperson for GM Procure said: “Employment is considered to be one of the key criteria in reducing the likelihood of criminals re-offending. National statistics show that crimes committed by reoffenders costs society £11 billion a year and that social exclusion is linked to offending. By creating these opportunities for ex-offenders the partnership is positively contributing to crime reduction, a reduction in national costs, and it is also helping individuals become part of the community.”

In more ways than one, then, Six Town Housing – and its partners – are helping to create futures.