Warm glow for residents as £25m energy efficiency scheme delivers results

Energy and regeneration specialist Equans began work in late 2022 on the transformation of seven tower blocks as part of Leeds City Council’s drive to deliver high-quality homes while also tackling fuel poverty and the climate emergency.

Residents are now benefiting from the improvements, which have been completed at six of the blocks – Parkway Court, Parkway Grange and Parkway Towers in Seacroft and Lovell Park Grange, Lovell Park Heights and Lovell Park Towers in Little London.

The work – which has included the reroofing of buildings and the installation of new external wall insulation and ventilation systems – will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat individual flats.

This in turn will allow residents in the 600-plus flats across the seven blocks to enjoy cheaper fuel bills while also cutting the city’s carbon emissions.

The average annual energy costs for each flat are expected to halve, while the amount of CO2 being produced by the average property is predicted to drop by around a third.

The external appearance of the tower blocks has also been enhanced with the addition of new rendering and fittings.

And, during a recent visit to one of the completed Seacroft blocks, a senior councillor was able to hear all about the difference the scheme is already making to people’s lives.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique spoke to residents and members of the project team as he saw the changes that have been put in place at Parkway Towers.

Work at the seventh block, Moor Grange Court in West Park, is due to finish in the next few months.

The scheme as a whole received £9.6m from central government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund, with the rest of the cost being met by the council.

It forms part of a wider £100m programme of council-led work across Leeds, with large numbers of buildings having already received or due to receive energy-saving upgrades to reduce the city’s carbon footprint and combat fuel poverty.

Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Leeds City Council’s executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:

“Reducing Leeds’s carbon footprint is a priority for the council, but it’s important that this is done in a fair way that also helps improve standards of living in all our local communities.

“The benefits of such an approach are perfectly demonstrated by the changes at these flats in Seacroft, Little London and West Park, where emissions and energy bills are both set to be significantly reduced.

“The scheme is also testament to the power of partnership working, with Equans playing a vital role alongside the council in bringing about a bright new era for the properties and everyone living there.”

Councillor Jess Lennox, Leeds City Council’s executive member for housing, said:

“We are determined to do everything we can to give communities in Leeds the kind of safe, warm and affordable social housing that can transform lives for the better.

“The work that has been taking place across these seven sites shows how we are delivering on that ambition.

“The scheme has been a real success story and, with many Leeds households currently experiencing fuel poverty, it’s particularly pleasing that it should help cut people’s energy bills.”

Sean Corcoran, regional director at Equans, said:

“The transformation of these flats will have a long-lasting positive impact on residents’ lives by making their homes more comfortable and reducing energy bills at a time when living costs are so high.

“Housing is one of the biggest contributors to the UK’s carbon emissions, so projects like this play a crucial role in improving the environment. We’re proud to be supporting the council in its ambitions to make Leeds a more sustainable place to live.”

In a further boost for residents in Lovell Park Grange, Lovell Park Heights and Lovell Park Towers, the council recently announced that all three blocks are set to be connected to the flagship Leeds PIPES district heating network.

Leeds PIPES uses heat and energy recovered from non-recyclable waste to provide warmth and hot water to a range of residential and commercial buildings.

Delivered in partnership with Vital Energi, the network was expected to help existing customers collectively save nearly half a million pounds in reduced energy costs last year alone.

Note to editors:

In the UK and Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical services, facilities management, regeneration and energy services, with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district and embedded energy and decentralised renewables. Its 13,500 employees combine these activities to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero. Globally, Equans is a world leader in energy services with nearly 100,000 employees working in more than 50 countries. Equans is a Bouygues group company. 

ENDS