Seren Park - Cladding Replacement

Important information for all Seren Park residents.

Monday 27th January 2025 is the date for the removal of the site welfare and office units. To allow a safe and speedy removal, any resident vehicles parked in Bays 75/ 74/ 73/ 72 / 65/ 64/ 63/ 62 AND 61/ 77/ 80 must be moved to another location before 7.00am on Monday 27/01/25. This is to allow the crane vehicle to set up and there will be eight lorries taking these units away at various times during the day.

We will liaise with Haus and the concierge to ensure you have somewhere to park your vehicle during the day of Monday 27/01/25

All of these bays will be returned to the residents on Monday evening 27/01/25 if all goes well with the removal process and the crane has left site.

Bays 71/ 70/ 69/ 68/ 67/ 66 will also be returned for use once the hoarding/ gates been removed and the road surface repaired to the clients satisfaction. We envisage this will take one week to put right as we have to break out the posts, re-concrete and tarmac over the holes. We will also take a view on the parking bay markings once everything is clear

Equans will still have a presence on site to finish the podium works, any outstanding remedial repairs to balconies and any remaining internal works. We will tidy up and return any cycle/ storage areas to their former state.

We will be temporarily based in the under-croft store in block A1 and have a chemical toilet out of sight.

Equans will update the microsite weekly to ensure you are aware of progress.

If you have any concerns or queries regarding these works, please contact the Site Managers Garry Beasley on 07815 028625 or Steve Sawyer 07583 069 898.

We wish to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused and we will endeavour to minimise any inconvenience to you.

We would like to inform you that our Seren Park site will be shutting for the festive holiday from Monday 23rd December and re-opening on Thursday 2nd January 2025.

None of our operatives will be working over the Christmas break without prior agreement and notification. If you see anybody tampering with, or accessing any of the work areas, we would appreciate it if you could notify the Concierge office.

From everyone in the Seren Park site team, we hope you enjoy the festive break.

Please be advised that we have issued a revised completion programme.

All works will now be complete by 20/01/25 due to adverse weather conditions.

A copy of our revised completion programme can be viewed in the Documents Library or by clicking here.

Welcome to your latest works update. You will have also received this as a hard copy in the form of your resident newsletter.

If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your Equans site team.

Welcome to your latest edition of the Seren Park refurbishment newsletter. Within each issue we will provide a general update on our progress along with contact details for your site team and important reminders.

Click here to read your latest newsletter

On behalf of the site teams, Equans would like to wish you a Happy Halloween.

Don't forget, there's a children's Halloween activity pack available to download - click here or alternatively ask your site team for a copy.

Welcome to your latest works update. You will have also received this as a hard copy in the form of your resident newsletter.

If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact your Equans site team.

Scaffolding has been removed from Seren Park Gardens, with the exception of the loading bay onto the podium which will remain until all works have been completed on the podium.

General update

Sections 1-3

Rockpanel cladding works are being progressed to the lower floors from mobile scissor lifts and this will recommence shortly, however some areas will require a specialised scissor lift due to length/width restrictions around the Oriel windows to Sections 1 and 2.

The existing timber balustrade will start being replaced with Aluminium Vulkan balustrade panels towards the end of week commencing 2nd September. Any glazed panels moved from these balconies will also be replaced.

Remaining render works will recommence in the next couple of weeks and rainwater pipes will be reconnected once the render is painted.

Section 4

Rockpanel works are progressing on the lower floors from scissor lifts since the scaffold was removed. Render to the ground floor areas under the balconies will recommence in the next couple of weeks.

Sections 5, 6 and podium

Rockpanel and render works on both Section 5 and 6 are essentially complete to first floor level and operatives are currently on site completing the render to Rockpanel junctions above the block entrance doorways.

Lighting, intercoms and CCTV will be re-installed once the Rockpanel cladding has been completed and the intercom fixing detail agreed.

Brick walls will start being re-built from 9th September, with materials being delivered either 6th September or 9th September. Once the walls have been built and allowing curing time for the brickwork, the old balustrade railings will be re-installed to the internal face of the walls using chemical anchors.

Waterproofing of the podium level upstand is now complete allowing the cladding works to be completed to podium ground level and waterproofing works will recommence to the flat slab area once the brickwork has been re-installed.

Once the flat slab areas have been waterproofed into the new brickwork, new slab flooring to the podium will be installed on the communal side and new decking re-installed to the resident side.

Landscaping for planting still to be agreed with the Client.

Communal works

The communal terrace decking is well advanced with only new lighting to be installed, and SVP enclosures will commence in due course.

Final details to the entrance stair case are being discussed and will be one of the last elements to complete.

External balconies

There are still three inset balconies to receive decking, once the oversize brackets have been received, we will install the decking from a scissor lift. We will inform you directly when this is to commence.

Please ensure you have no personal belongings on the balconies, we have no storage and cannot be responsible for any loss or damage.

Balcony decking

Please be aware that he gaps in the decking are as per design by the client and manufacturers installation guidelines.

Site working

Please be aware that we still have a telehandler forklift and vehicle deliveries to site so please take care when walking or driving to and from the block.

Fire drills

You will be notified well in advance via letter, notice board and Facebook and for this you will be advised to remain in your property. This will be a fire drill for Equan staff and contractors only.

Accidental operation of fire alarms should be extremely rare - in the event that this happens, we can silence the alarms remotely. The Site Manager is also the Fire Marshall and will make this assessment as a priority and ensure all residents are aware that this is a false alarm as soon as possible.

Cameras and CCTV

There are no longer any Equans cameras on site. Please be aware that none of our operatives will be accessing any of the work/storage areas earlier than 7.45am for an 8am start and finishing at 5pm.

None of our operatives will be working at the weekends without prior agreement and notification. If you see anybody tampering with or accessing any of the work areas outside of these hours, we would appreciate it if you could notify the concierge office.

Bulkhead Balcony Lights

Appointments are being made to access your property and balconies where bulkhead lights were removed last year. New bulkhead lights will be installed, however where a property has two balconies, the lights will not be installed until both balconies have been completed as access is required to complete a circuit test and the lights cannot be made live until this has been done.

Please contact the site team to make an appointment to re-instate your new balcony light(s).

Broken Balcony Glass

We will make an appointment to site measure the replacement glass from 2nd September and once measured will take approximately three weeks to manufacture, however all of the broken units need to be measured before the order is placed. Once this arrives the glazed panel will be installed from one of the scissor lifts, access may be required.

Any other business

Access to the concierge and podium is not restricted for residents, however, access to the podium is at your own risk due to the ongoing works. We do ask that you access and egress your block via the ground floor where possible and for food deliveries, residents must meet the delivery drivers at the front gate.

Works to all balcony areas are now in progress and we can't stress enough that you all follow any of our guidelines regarding these or any other works. Please do not access your balconies between the working hours of 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. The safety of you and our workforce must be the first priority.

Copies of EICR certificates can be issued via email for those who ask for them, please contact Senior RLO, Christine Todd.

If you have reported water leak damages, plaster damage, we will have a record of this. Please now contact the site team to make an appointment for them to arrange for the remedial works to be carried out.

Mould: If you experience any condensation during the cold weather this can often lead to mould forming in corners on or near windows in or behind wardrobes and cupboards. Poor ventilation is one of the causes so please be sure, the air in your home flows freely and keep humidity levels as low as you can. Please ensure your extract fans are being used from cooking/showering and drying clothes inside.

Open windows, blinds and curtains when you can. Please ensure you move any items of furniture away from any uninsulated exterior walls as mould can propagate where there is insufficient air flow.

If you find you have a damp patch or mould, please contact the site office and we will investigate where the issue may have arisen from.

Notice to residents:

• Please ensure that you have contacted your insurance company regarding the scaffolding to your property and the risk of damage caused by the works (contents insurance)
• Please ensure that you remove anything fixed to the external walls where there's a possibility that vibrations could make these items fall, such as pictures and mirrors. Also move any chests of drawers that have pictures, ornaments or fragile items on top slightly away, so not touching the outside walls
• Please re-secure your window restrictors inside the housings fixed to the window frame. The restrictors will damage the new window sills if left loose and Equans will not be responsible for repairing or replacing the sills
• Do not keep any fragile items on the window sills as they are too narrow and items can fall off due to wind or vibration
• Please note that under your lease agreements, with sufficient notice, Equans/RTM are permitted to access properties
• If you notice a fishy or chemical smell from outside, this may be emanating from the fire-proof Rockwool insulation. This smell will dissipate over time once covered with render
• Pigeon netting is not being re-instated to balconies due to fire risk as advised by the Fire Engineer
• Please contact the RLO Christine to update our records of your contact details and to receive our Resident Information Pack
• Leaseholders: Please inform any new tenants renting your property to contact Equans RLO, Christine Todd so we have their direct contact details
• Structural alterations made by the residents are not permitted under the lease agreements
• Friendly request: To help us identify flats when on scaffolding, could you please place a label/sticker of your flat number on internal face of windows (labels available on request from Senior RLO, Christine)
• Important notice: Residents must be aware that it is your responsibility as the leaseholder/tenant to move ALL items off balconies, despite whether the items were present when moving in. The RTM and HAUS have confirmed that there is no storage on site for personal items. Equans will not be responsible for any damage or loss of items left on balconies
• Underground car park: Any issues caused by water ingress into the car park is due to either defective fittings on the drainage systems or natural water ingress from the podium slab. None of these elements are the fault of Equans works and therefore not for us to resolve. Please contact your property management company
• Again, we would like thank those residents that have come to Equans directly to advise of loss of the parking bays which in certain circumstances is as a result of materials, or our operatives. We are doing all we can to mitigate these issues in the future but appreciate you working with us on this matter.

Final note

We would like to thank all residents for their collaborative approach with the delivery of this project as we fully appreciate that these level of works increase numerous inconveniences to you all i.e. Equans receiving of deliveries, skip deliveries/collections, noise pollution etc.

We also appreciate those residents assisting with the clearance of their balconies allowing our operatives access to undertake our planned works.

Click here to read the full newsletter

We would like to make you aware of a change to your site team.

Senior Resident Liaison Officer, Christine Todd has now moved onto another project within Equans. She would like to thank all the residents for their patience, co-operation and kindness throughout her time here at Seren Park Gardens.

If you have any queries or concerns about the works being carried out by Equans please contact either Gary Beasley on 07815 028 625 or Steve Sawyer on 07583 069 898.

Welcome to your latest works update. You will have also received this as a hard copy in the form of your resident newsletter.

If you have any queries or concerns about the works being undertaken by Equans, please contact Senior Resident Liaison Officer, Christine Todd on 07766 420 977.

Following the contractor issues suffered early last year, the subsequent resolution and recommencement of works in the summer of 2023. We have progressed well towards the completion of the works to your block. Since the issue of the revised completion programme in autumn last year we have encountered some detailed design issue's identified during the removal of the remaining original cladding.

After the detailed design and compliance checks by the appropriate professional bodies these details were issued and works undertaken. These issues and inclusion of some additional areas of work have resulted in a further change to completion of the works. Please find the key dates from the revised programme on page 8 of your newsletter.

General update

Sections 1-3

Both render and Rockpanel cladding is being progressed to the lower floors from mobile scissor lifts.

Section 4

The top floor balcony design details have been fully resolved and works near completion. Scaffold removal to Section 4 will commence shortly with full removal planned for the end of July. As lifts are removed this will allow our contractors to complete the decking and panel infill works for final checks prior to the next lift being removed.

Zinc works are complete apart from final tie infill panels as Section 4 scaffold is removed.

Sections 5 & 6

Rockpanel and render works on both sections are essentially complete to the first floor, allowing for staged removal of the scaffold. As per Section 4, following removal of each lift, final works are then needed to allow striking to continue.

Waterproofing of the podium level upstand is now complete which has facilitated the start of the cladding works to the walls.

Balcony decking works have also recommenced and the communal decking is ready for delivery to site and will be installed in due course.

Communal works

The communal terrace decking is well advanced and we are in discussion regarding the last elements of work around the SVP enclosures. Once we have the final details, the work will be programmed and completed.

Works to the podium waterproofing have commenced with the main areas to be undertaken early August. Mid August will see the start of the paving and building works as we work to completion in early October. During this period the new finishes to the podium staircase and adjacent plant rooms will also be completed.

External balconies

Decking replacement has recommenced and involves stripping out the existing decking boards, removing the timber sub-frame, installing a fire-break between the balcony steelwork and wall and installing a cover flashing with an EPDM waterproofing membrane tight under the balcony door/windows.

New aluminium box sections will be fixed to the existing steel frame and the new aluminium decking boards are fixed to the box sections, up to the scaffold tubes penetrating the balcony, stopped and then re-started. One or two of the old boards will be left in the gap for safety reasons and replaced with new aluminium decking once the scaffold is removed floor by floor.

Please ensure you have no personal belongings on the balconies, we have no storage and cannot be responsible for any loss or damage.

Bulkhead Balcony Lights

Appointments are being made to access your property and balconies where bulkhead lights were removed last year. New bulkhead lights will be installed, however where a property has two balconies, the lights will not be installed until both balconies have been completed as access is required to complete a circuit test and the lights cannot be made live until this has been done. Please contact Christine to make an appointment to re-instate your new balcony light(s).

Broken Balcony Glass

We will make an appointment to site measure the replacement glass very shortly, once this arrives, the glazed panel will be installed from one of the scissor lifts.

Pigeon Guano

Pigeons nest/roost on outbuildings/scaffolding and will return to their squabs to feed. Going forward the cleaning of the scaffolding/decking is continuous where guano is located. Pigeons will nest on balconies and under scaffolding. Please deter any pigeons from nesting on your balcony if you are able.

Scaffold security and emergency measures

Scaffold fire alarms have been installed externally on the scaffold in various locations. These alarms are not automatic and will only be activated manually in the event of a fire, fire drill, or accidental operation. In the event of an actual fire, emergency services will be contacted immediately, the concierge will be notified via Walkie-Talkie/phone and your own Seren Park fire plan will be put into action.

Fire drills - You will be notified well in advance via letter, notice board and Facebook and for this you will be advised to remain in your property. This will be a fire drill for Equans staff and contractors only. Accidental operation of fire alarms should be extremely rare - in the event that this happens, we can silence the alarms remotely. The Site Manager is also the Fire Marshall and will make this assessment as a priority and ensure all residents are aware that this is a false alarm as soon as possible.

Cameras have been installed to the scaffold in various locations and are only activated by a trespass incident during non-working hours. Any access to the scaffold during out of hours is picked up automatically by a remote incident controller and escalated to the Police. Footage from the camera is also sent to Equans for record purposes.

We have recently had an incident of theft at 6am on Tuesday 19th March which was picked up by both our cameras and the Seren Park cameras. The thieves were wearing yellow hi-viz vests, were only on site for approximately five minutes and took some minor materials from the ground floor storage area. This will be passed onto the Police.

Please be aware that none of our operatives will be accessing any of the work/storage areas earlier than 7.45am for an 8am start and finishing at 5pm. None of our operatives will be working at the weekends without prior agreement and notification. If you see anybody tampering with, or accessing any of the work areas outside of these hours, we would appreciate it if you could notify the concierge office or contact RLO, Christine directly.

Any other business

Access to the concierge and podium is not restricted for residents, however, access to the podium is at your own risk due to the ongoing works. We do ask that you access and egress your block via the ground floor where possible and for food deliveries, residents must meet the delivery drivers at the front gate.

Works to all balcony areas are now in progress and we can't stress enough that you all follow any of our guidelines regarding these or any other works. Please do not access your balconies between the working hours of 8am-5pm Monday to Friday. The safety of you and our workforce must be the first priority.

Copies of EICR certificates can be issued via email for those who ask for them, please contact Senior RLO, Christine Todd.

There's been a number of leaks going into various properties since the original cladding has been removed, we are endeavouring to stop this happening moving forward. If you have experienced a water leak since the works began you should have received a visit from someone in the Equans team to have a look at any water damage immediately after the event and at least another visit to check on the drying progress. Equans will look at each property individually and respond in due course to let you know the process if any remedial works are required, once the external works are completed on your section and made watertight.

Mould: If you experience any condensation during the cold weather this can often lead to mould forming in corners on or near windows in or behind wardrobes and cupboards. Poor ventilation is one of the causes so please be sure, the air in your home flows freely and keep humidity levels as low as you can. Please ensure your extract fans are being used from cooking/showering and drying clothes inside, open windows, blinds and curtains when you can. Please ensure you move any items of furniture away from any uninsulated exterior walls as mould can propagate where there insufficient air flow. If you find you have a damp patch or mould, please contact the site office and we will investigate where the issue may have arisen from.

Notice to residents:

• Please ensure that you have contacted your insurance company regarding the scaffolding to your property and the risk of damage caused by the works (contents insurance)
• Please ensure that you remove anything fixed to the external walls where there's a possibility that vibrations could make these items fall, such as pictures and mirrors. Also move any chests of drawers that have pictures, ornaments or fragile items on top slightly away, so not touching the outside walls
• Please re-secure your window restrictors inside the housings fixed to the window frame. The restrictors will damage the new window sills if left loose and Equans will not be responsible for repairing or replacing the sills
• Do not keep any fragile items on the window sills as they are too narrow and items can fall off due to wind or vibration
• Please note that under your lease agreements, with sufficient notice, Equans/RTM are permitted to access properties
• If you notice a fishy or chemical smell from outside, this may be emanating from the fire-proof Rockwool insulation. This smell will dissipate over time once covered with render
• Pigeon netting is not being re-instated to balconies due to fire risk as advised by the Fire Engineer
• Please contact the RLO Christine to update our records of your contact details and to receive our Resident Information Pack
• Leaseholders: Please inform any new tenants renting your property to contact Equans RLO, Christine Todd so we have their direct contact details
• Structural alterations made by the residents are not permitted under the lease agreements
• Friendly request: To help us identify flats when on scaffolding, could you please place a label/sticker of your flat number on internal face of windows (labels available on request from Senior RLO, Christine)
• Important notice: Residents must be aware that it is your responsibility as the leaseholder/tenant to move ALL items off balconies, despite whether the items were present when moving in. The RTM and HAUS have confirmed that there is no storage on site for personal items. Equans will not be responsible for any damage or loss of items left on balconies
• Underground car park: Any issues caused by water ingress into the car park is due to either defective fittings on the drainage systems or natural water ingress from the podium slab. None of these elements are the fault of Equans works and therefore not for us to resolve. Please contact your property management company
• Again, we would like thank those residents that have come to Equans directly to advise of loss of the parking bays which in certain circumstances is as a result of materials, or our operatives. We are doing all we can to mitigate these issues in the future but appreciate you working with us on this matter.

Final note

Should any residents require assistance with entering or leaving the car park via the access road please let Christine know. Our on-site Traffic Marshal will be happy to assist. If you accidentally hit the scaffolding, please let us know immediately to enable us to carry out any necessary safety checks.

We would like to thank all residents for their collaborative approach with the delivery of this project as we fully appreciate that these level of works increase numerous inconveniences to you all i.e. Equans receiving of deliveries, skip deliveries/collections, noise pollution etc.

We also appreciate those residents assisting with the clearance of their balconies allowing our operatives access to undertake our planned works.

Click here to read the full newsletter

Please be advised that we have issued a revised completion programme.

Essentially six additional weeks have been added due to further design requirements uncovered during final cladding removal elements.

A copy of our revised completion programme can be viewed in the Documents Library or by clicking here.

This article has been summarised, a full copy of the letter is available within the documents library

During the external works, there have been several balcony balustrade glass panels broken.

Flat numbers 153, 113, 109, 104, 40, 35, 34, 32 and 31 have been recorded. However, if you have a glass panel that is missing or broken and infilled with plywood, please contact the RLO, Christine Todd on 07766 420 977.

Very importantly, could you please ensure that all personal belongings i.e. bicycles, plants, garden sets etc. are cleared to allow for works. Please be advised that Equans cannot accept responsibility for any damage or loss of personal items that have not been cleared.

We wish to take this opportunity to apologise in advance for any inconvenience that may be caused.