9 September 2024 We have previously reported in our news emails that the District Council was planning a refurbishment of The Broadway.
The tender process is now complete with the contract being awarded to Mulalley and Co.
The
work is costed at £4.8 million and includes the blocks on both sides of
the street. This will deliver external refurbishment and maintenance
works to address issues of weathertightness and security, with full
replacement of the roof in conjunction with other cyclical external
building fabric repairs including window replacements, balcony and
walkway repairs, and compliance work. An upgrade to the energy
efficiency performance of The Broadway is included by increasing the
insulation of the roof and fitting thermally efficient windows. A
medium-term improvement plan will also be provided detailing future
energy efficiency upgrades to make the building ready for net zero by
2050.
Work is expected to start in October or November, with the contract period being 12 months.
The
Council has stated that residential and commercial leaseholders will be
recharged a proportion of the cost in accordance with their respective
leases. They recognise the bills will be significant and have said they
will work with each leaseholder to agree payment terms that will lessen
the immediate impact and enable leaseholders to pay sums owed over a
period. Further details have not yet been announced, and the Council
has said work will now start in earnest with making contact with
individuals on the recharging details.
A dedicated website page will be set up for parties to be able to access information.
LRA Comment: At
the District Council Cabinet meeting on 2 September when the work was
discussed, LRA Cllrs along with Independent Cllr Stephen Murray raised
concerns especially around the costs to be recharged to leaseholders
and when such payment will be due to ensure they are fair and
appropriate. LRA Cllrs also highlighted that a sinking fund (regular
money set aside to pay for a future expenses) should have been in place
in previous years to avoid significant costs being charged to
leaseholders. The District Council acknowledged that this situation
must not happen again and after the current work is completed such a
fund
should be in place. You can watch the relevant 30 minute section of the meeting here (starts at 1hr21min).
LRA
will try to ensure the viability of The Broadway remains unimpaired
both during construction, and after the works are completed. However
the present administration at the District Council may not be so
concerned.