Retrofit in real life: Improving Liverpool’s Victorian terraces for Onward Homes
Some of the hardest to treat homes to retrofit are also some of the most in need. Victorian terraces, for example, are built to last but not designed with energy efficiency in mind. They present real technical challenges, and the people living in them have often spent years contending with cold rooms, persistent draughts and high energy bills as a result.
In Walton and Kirkdale, Liverpool, we are working in partnership with Onward Homes to change that.
Improving some of Liverpool’s oldest homes
The programme covers 343 terraced properties in two of Liverpool’s inner-city neighbourhoods, targeting homes built between 100 and 150 years ago. Procured through Fusion21 and funded by Wave 3 of the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund, the scheme forms part of Onwards Homes’ long-term commitment to investing in and improving its existing housing stock – beginning with some of its oldest homes in the city.
The age and character of the properties shaped the technical approach from the outset. To preserve the original brick facades on the front elevations, an important consideration in streets of architectural and historic character, insulation was applied selectively to the window reveals rather than across the full facade. External wall insulation supplied by Permarock Products was applied to the rear elevations, improving thermal performance while also enhancing the appearance of the properties with a weather-protective render finish.
Further measures included cavity wall insulation, internal wall insulation, replacement windows and doors, and roof alterations. All 343 homes are currently being improved to an EPC C rating or better.
Earning trust in the community
Retrofit programmes in established residential areas require more than technical expertise. Earning the trust of residents, many of whom may be uncertain about the works’ technical expertise. Earning the trust of residents, many of whom may be uncertain about works being carried out in their homes, is just as important as the quality of the installation.
Prior to works starting, our team conducted a door-knocking exercise across the area to explain the planned measures, introduce ourselves and hold drop-in sessions for residents to ask questions. Despite some initial hesitance, residents became increasingly convinced of the benefits as they saw homes on their streets being transformed, in terms of appearance, soundproofing and thermal comfort.
Throughout the programme, one of our dedicated customer liaison officers served as the primary point of contact for residents, explaining the works being carried out, why, and how each stage would affect them.
The feedback from residents reflects our investment in engagement. Samuel, who had lived in his property for 16 years, described the difference the works have made.
“We can feel the heat in the house now. We had cold draughts throughout the property before, but since we’ve had the thermal insulation installed, we don’t feel these as much – and the curtains certainly don’t move any more. When we put the heating on now, as soon as the house is warmed up, the boiler won’t come on for two or three hours.”
Myra, another resident, was equally positive about the experience. She said: “During the work that the team did, they made sure they were in and out in a day; it was just tremendous. Our customer liaison officer at SBS was excellent; I’d only have to ring up, and she’d sort queries out straight away.”
A wider legacy for the community
The scheme’s impact extends beyond individual homes because we partnered with Everton in the Community, a local employment hub, to recruit labourers from the surrounding area. Our team also made improvements to garden spaces at the Out House Walton Community Hub, a local resource for the neighbourhood.
Onward Homes has been clear from the outset that the benefits should reach as wide as possible. Ross Bagnall, retrofit assistant project manager at Onward Homes, said: “As well as making our customers’ homes more affordable to run, we know that our investment can have broader benefits. Our partnership with Liverpool City Council and SBS is ensuring that a positive legacy is left that extends beyond our customers’ homes – with improvements for local waste management services and opportunities for owner-occupiers to be involved in a whole neighbourhood approach to retrofit, so it’s not only our tenants that will benefit.
On the partnership with us, Ross added: “SBS is a huge contractor in this industry with a huge amount of knowledge and experience. Having them to lean on and having a working relationship with them has been brilliant. Its employees have been brilliant in dealing with our customer, keeping them informed and making sure this project is a success.”
Retrofit rooted in place.
The Liverpool City Region represents a key area of strategic focus for us, with both our business and owner and chairperson Derek Horrocks having deep roots in the region built up over many decades. That connection to place runs through the way our team approaches the work – from employing local people to the care taken in preserving the character of the streets where works are carried out.
Ian Jones, our regional director, said: ” Liverpool is an important region within our growth plan, while it holds additional significance because many of our team are from these local communities. We’re extremely proud to be working in Merseyside and making a real difference to people’s lives and the regional net zero efforts.
“Residents have been sharing positive feedback on the immediate impacts, from thermal comfort to greater soundproofing and improved property appearance, which is further motivation to leave areas in a better state than we entered them. During this project, we have helped improve garden spaces in local community centres and have employed local people via Everton in Community and engaged with colleagues to provide work experience opportunities, so that the benefits of retrofit interventions stretch as far as possible.”
