Asbestos removal leads to £6m home renovations
South Kesteven District CouncilMore than 100 council homes in Grantham, Lincolnshire have been renovated by the local authority after asbestos was found in them.
South Kesteven District Council said the £6m project on the Earlesfield Estate was the largest it had undertaken in a single location.
Cabinet member for housing, councillor Virginia Moran, said the houses had been built after World War Two as temporary accommodation.
"We've invested to effectively bring brand-new homes in old shells."
The council gave detailed information on the type of work undertaken.
- 77 full heating systems were replaced
- 102 properties were fully rewired
- 95 new kitchens were fitted
- 87 bathrooms installed
- 96 downstairs toilets added
- 107 front doors and 110 rear doors were replaced
- 109 homes had asbestos removed
- 120 properties had full window replacements
- 106 properties had extractor fans fitted to combat damp and mould
- 100 lofts made fire resistant
- 117 homes were fitted with new loft insulation
The Asbestos Containing Material (ACM) had been found in homes on the estate in 2021.
The project saw people in affected homes temporarily rehoused, using vacant properties on the estate on a rolling programme, to allow the work to take place.
Dave Platts, site manager with contractor, United Living, said his team had been on-site for two-and-a-half years.
"These properties are now asbestos-free, have new kitchens, new bathrooms and are homes for the 21st Century.
"We hope that the tenants will love living in them."
Moran said people had reacted positively: "They feel like they've moved into a new house. It's like we've turned around and said 'have a new house' but you have all the same neighbours, the same friends and you still have your garden."
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