Silchester Estate

Welcome to your latest resident's update from Equans. Below we have included information as displayed on your most recent quarterly resident's newsletter.

The newsletter will provide updates on the works going on across the estate and give you an opportunity to get involved.

If you have any queries about the works being undertaken by Equans, please direct your query to your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.

We would like to thank all residents who attended the Christmas Cheer evening- it was great to be able to meet with so many of you and discuss the ongoing and upcoming works.

Site update
Respite Area : We are pleased to confirm that two new respite areas are available at Frinstead House and Whitstable House. These areas will provide a quiet space for you to relax and get away from the noise of the work. Additionally, we plan to create an extra respite area on the grass opposite Markland House.

Markland House update
We are pleased to inform you that we have nearly finished removing the old ventilation system (shunt ducts). If you are yet to have this work completed, please contact your Resident Liaison Officer Mohamed by calling 07974 288893 as soon as possible.

The lift servicing has been completed on one side of the block. This means works have now started on the opposite side for a full lift replacement. We have nearly finished the repair work which included:

• Breaking out all fragile concrete.
• Treated with a rust inhibiter to prevent and protect the metal from rusting.
• Renewing concrete where required.
• Skim all concrete (shown in photo below) ready for painting.

Additionally, we will be renewing the movement joints in-between the building that will allow the building to expand in different weather temperatures. This is scheduled to begin in March. The old roofing has been stripped off and new roofing being re-laid, this is weather dependant. Later this month we hope to start work to replace the soil vent pipe in your toilets. A member of our team will be in touch to make an appointment to complete the work.

Frinstead House Update
We have been in contact with the adjoining properties to discuss the scaffolding and are now concluding the design work on the temporary structure. As we noted in last month's newsletter, due to some challenges with access around Frinstead and the need to arrange this with Peabody, we now propose to commence scaffolding at Dixon House next, but we will still be programming non-scaffold dependent works to start at Frinstead - these works will initially commence with the replacement of one of the lifts which is being programmed for September (the exact date will be confirmed to residents via letter in the coming weeks).

Other communal works will then follow, including the installation of the new dry riser, sprinklers and containment for the new electrical and media services. We will contact residents of Frinstead directly via letter to advise of dates for these works in the coming weeks.

Dixon House Update

Work to remove the old ventilation system (shunt duct) started in January. The new system will improve ventilation in each property, helping to prevent the buildup of damp and condensation. We also started the brick and concrete surveys in January and are making good progress. These surveys will show what works are required. The erection of the scaffolding to Dixon House are progressing as planned and are expected to be completed by the end of February / beginning of March.

Whitstable & Frinstead House Update

We are pleased to advise Whitstable House the lift servicing has been completed on one side. This means works will now start on the opposite side for a full lift replacement. In Whitstable and Frinstead House we are carrying out surveys to ensure that every flat is safe and ready for the upcoming internal refurbishment works. We still have surveys outstanding as shown in the below graphs. Each survey requires around an hour to an hour and a half of your time. Any delays in these surveys will interrupt our programme.

Please contact a member of the Equans RLO team to book in for any outstanding surveys.
Jahdai– 07929 657 540
Mohamed – 07974 28893
Lilia – 07967 856 655

Coffee Mornings

Join us at the Frinstead House Community Room every Tuesday from 10am – 11.30am for teas or coffees and a friendly catch-up with your Resident Liaison team. We'd love to see you there!

Please click here to view a copy of the full Resident's 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 resident's update from Equans. Below we have included information as displayed on your most recent quarterly resident's newsletter.

The newsletter will provide updates on the works going on across the estate and give you an opportunity to get involved.

If you have any queries about the works being undertaken by Equans, please direct your query to your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.

We would like to thank all residents who attended the recent summer fun day - it was great to be able to meet with so many of you and discuss the ongoing and upcoming works.

Site update

As we look ahead to working on the rest of the estate, we will be introducing new members of the Equans site team, including Site Managers and Resident Liaison Officers. We will send out communications specific to each block to introduce them to you, as well as provide the necessary contact details.

We are also looking to expand our site office area by adding extra office space and storage. We will be having the extra facilities delivered on 10th September, so please don't be alarmed if you see some lorries and cranes, these are only needed to lift these resources into our compound on the tennis courts. We will have teams on site to manage the movement of vehicles and minimise any disruption.

We would again like to take the opportunity to thank all residents for their ongoing support and would welcome your feedback on the project. This can be done through the resident liaison team or via the suggestion boxes we have installed in the ground floor lift lobbies at each block.

Markland House update

The scaffold erection is now fully complete to all levels and the roof, we are continuing with the external concrete and brickwork repairs. This also includes stripping the old paint coatings from the concrete balcony soffits. The roofing works are now being programmed and will commence in September along with stripping of the existing asphalt on the balconies.

We are also now arranging works to flats, our resident liaison team are working with residents to start making bookings for the removal of the shunt ducts and the follow-on kitchen, bathroom and internal works, like the installation of sprinklers and new TV and media cabling. These works will also be commencing in early September, with appointments being arranged directly with residents. Works will be completed two properties at a time starting from the top floors and working down the building - when we get to the bottom floors, the teams will then go back to the top and commence with the next two properties on each floor and again work down the building completing these in pairs.

Window design work is now concluding, and these will be going into manufacture through September. The current programmed date for delivery is the end of October with installs due to commence soon thereafter. Appointments will be made directly with residents in due course.

Frinstead House Update

We have been in contact with the adjoining properties to discuss the scaffolding and are now concluding the design work on the temporary structure. As we noted in last month's newsletter, due to some challenges with access around Frinstead and the need to arrange this with Peabody, we now propose to commence scaffolding at Dixon House next, but we will still be programming non-scaffold dependent works to start at Frinstead - these works will initially commence with the replacement of one of the lifts which is being programmed for September (the exact date will be confirmed to residents via letter in the coming weeks).

Other communal works will then follow, including the installation of the new dry riser, sprinklers and containment for the new electrical and media services. We will contact residents of Frinstead directly via letter to advise of dates for these works in the coming weeks.

Dixon House Update

We will be moving onto scaffolding at Dixon House next, but before we start this, from 2nd September, we will be removing the existing protection scaffold. Once removed, we will need to prepare the ground areas for the new scaffolding and then start to erect this from around 16th September. Letters will be sent to residents to confirm these dates.

The scaffold will be handed over in four lift intervals to allow surveys of the concrete and brickwork to commence as the structure rises. Breaking out of the repairs and stripping of the balcony soffits will also commence sequentially as the scaffold goes up the building. At the same time, we are reviewing the internal works sequence, and the current proposal will be to commence with the replacement of one of the internal lifts along with the other communal works such as a dry riser, sprinklers and containment in readiness for the new electrical services.

Letters will be sent out to residents with specific dates for each element in due course. Our resident liaison team will also be in touch shortly to begin arranging kitchen designs where necessary.

Whitstable House Update

Our resident liaison team and mechanical and electrical engineers are continuing with their surveys to Whitstable House. The plan is that this will be the last of the four towers where scaffolding will be erected, however, we are currently working with the lift contractor to programme in the first of the two lift replacements which is planned to commence mid-September. Once confirmed, letters will be sent out to all residents advising of dates and duration. If residents with mobility issues require any additional help for the duration of the lift repairs, please contact one of your resident liaison team; Jahdai on 07929 657 540 or Mohamed on 07974 288 893.

You said, we listened

Equans and RBKC received some resident feedback regarding parking issues and the difficulties that you were having - as a result of this, the teams worked closely together to find ways to strike a balance.

We are pleased that we have been able to reduce the initial number of parking permits issued, this is as a result of listening to your valued views.

Working Group Meetings

This is just a reminder about the ongoing working group meetings we hold with residents. They are open to all and present a good opportunity for you to provide us with valuable feedback. Your input is a key element that informs discussions at the regular design and progress meetings held between Equans and the RBKC client team every six weeks at the Equans site office.

Additionally, we are also collating the resident suggestions that have been provided in the suggestion boxes at each block. We would like to thank all residents who have taken the time to write and post these - suggestion boxes are checked every Friday by the site team.

Date of the next meeting: Tuesday 10th September at 6.30pm at the Equans Site Office.

If you would like a formal invite to the next Working Group Meeting, please contact RBKC's Resident Liaison Officer, Jillian Innis on 07968 379 234 or by email at capital.investment@rbkc.gov.uk

Coffee Mornings Starting Soon!

Coffee mornings will be starting in September - location details and times will be announced on the notice boards in each block.

Please click here to view a copy of the full Resident's Newsletter.

Residents treated to summer fun day this August thanks to Equans.

Organised by Equans' Social Value Manager, Pat Warren, residents from across the Silchester Estate were recently invited to a summer fun day to to mark the start of works on site.

The day included a number of free activities such as a bouncy castle, garden games, face painting, arts & crafts, a raffle and even some very tasty jerk chicken!

Members of the site team including RLO, Jahdai were present on the day to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves and even members of our supply chain, Speedy Hire showed their showed by donating generators.

The weather held out and everyone seemed to have a great day.

Kensington & Chelsea resident, Mohammed has recently joined the Equans site team at the Silchester Estate as an Apprentice Resident Liaison Officer.

As part of our social value commitment to RBKC, we continuously look for employment and training opportunities for local residents and in this case it came in the form of an apprenticeship with our Silchester Estate site team.

Starting at the beginning of August, Mohammed has settled in well to life on site commenting: "I am really enjoying working for Equans. My team are very friendly and welcoming. I'm learning a lot and I'm very grateful for this opportunity."

Throughout his time on site, Mohammed has been shadowing Resident Liaison Officer, Jahdai and helping with her daily duties such as visiting residents, delivering letters, booking appointments and making phone calls.

We wish Mohammed the best of luck in his career journey with us.

If you're interested in an apprenticeship with Equans, please email patrick.warren@equans.com to learn more about our current opportunities.

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea representatives visit the Silchester Estate and provide a video overview of the works being undertaken by Equans as part of the Council's £40 million capital works programme.

The capital works programme which spans the next five years is designed to make Council homes greener and safer, by refurbishing a huge portion of the buildings RBKC manage.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr Sof McVeigh, recently visited the Silchester Estate in north Kensington where RBKC are investing more than £40 million to improve residents homes. Improvements are now well underway including repairing concrete and brickwork, replacing windows and upgrading communal areas.

RBKC put residents at the heart of all they do, so they listened when residents said they wanted refurbishment rather than redevelopment, and they've set up working groups and engagement days to make sure residents continue to have a say in how the work is carried out.

"Huge thanks to our contractors, Equans UK & Ireland - In Focus, for their hard work so far!"

You can view the video produced by RBKC by clicking here.

Welcome to your first resident's update from Equans. Below we have included information as displayed on your most recent quarterly resident's newsletter.

The newsletter will provide updates on the works going on across the estate and give you an opportunity to get involved.

If you have any queries about the works being undertaken by Equans, please direct your query to your appointed Resident Liaison Officer.

Concrete surveys / repairs

Please note all residents from flats 1-40 must have their balconies cleared. All residents received letters on 20th May and 11th June stating the balconies need to be cleared so the concrete surveys and stripping of the paint coatings can be carried out.

A further letter has been sent out on 25th July to properties that have not yet been able to clear their balconies. We are requesting residents have their balconies cleared by 1st August. This is important as not to cause delays with the works and prolonged duration for which the scaffold is erected.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the clearing of your balcony then please call your Resident Liaison Officer who will be happy to help if you need any assistance.

Work commencing

• We're finishing work on emergency lighting in all blocks
• We're installing smoke alarms in Markland House. We really appreciate your co-operation with access for these essential works
• We had initially planned for Frinstead House to be the second block in the programme. However, this is now likely to be Dixon House due to access issues with the adjoining properties at Frinstead House. We will develop a programme and provide a more detailed update on this in due course
• We've started on the concierge area at the base of Markland House. It has been stripped out in readiness for the design surveys to be completed
• We will finalise a programme for the lift replacements then begin work on two blocks. At this stage this is likely to be Whitstable and Markland Houses. We will update you and provide a timeline for these works in due course
• The resident microsite is now live and operational - we will look to provide updates on there also in addition to general letters and newsletters
• We will be replacing the refuse hoppers (covers to the bin chutes) from 22nd July - this should take around two weeks
• We've developed a programme for the internal works which would start with the properties at the top and work down the building. This is to try and keep works closer together and reduce the overall duration between a property starting and finishing

Markland House update

We have begun work on the block by installing the scaffolding and we are now on level 16.

We have started the concrete and brickwork surveys to identify all the repairs required. This process is being completed up the block as the scaffold is handed over.

We've started the concrete repairs along with stripping the balcony paint coating. This essential work will be noisy at times so we're sorry for any inconvenience this causes.

Design work is continuing in the communal areas and within the flats. This has taken longer than planned as additional surveys were needed to confirm parts of the building that were previously unknown. These surveys also identified the need for additional works which has had to now be considered within the overall programme.

We are working with the client team to undertake the appropriate due diligence on all the design work to ensure that the final solution for your homes provide the safe and comfortable property that is expected.

Scaffolding Update

• Markland House: Start date 4th March 2024 - anticipated completion July 2024
• Dixon House: Start date July 2024
• Frinstead House: Start date October 2024
• Whitstable House: Start date March 2025

Upcoming events

Silchester Estate Summer Fun Day: Wednesday 7th August 3-7pm.

Join us for food, a raffle, a bouncy castle, children's entertainment and music!

Coffee Mornings:

We will be starting our fortnightly coffee mornings week commencing 12th August - location and times will be confirmed nearer the time.

Working Group Meetings

Following the initial working group meetings held with residents, we are taking feedback and raising these as part of the ongoing design and progress meetings between Equans and the RBKC client team.

Additionally, we are also collating the resident suggestions that have been provided in the suggestion boxes at each block. We would like to thank all residents that have taken the time to write and post these. Suggestion boxes are checked every Friday by the site team. These meetings are held every six weeks.

If you would like a formal invite to the next Working Group Meeting, please contact RBKC's Resident Liaison Officer, Jillian Innis on 07968 379 234 or by email at capital.investment@rbkc.gov.uk

Building Safety - Fire and structure

All four buildings are covered by the Building Safety Act 2022 which aims to make sure buildings are even safer in terms of fire and structural safety. Most importantly residents should always feel safe in their homes.

The following fire safety improvements are being made:

To your home:

• Fire alarms: hallway, living room, kitchen, bedrooms and cupboards if required (LD1)
• Sprinklers
• Fire door: Separating living space and sleeping area (so you can get out safely)
• Fire stopping: Sealing any spaces where fire/smoke could go through) and compartmentation works (keeping and stopping fire/smoke from going anywhere in the building)

To lobby and communal areas:

• Sprinklers
• Removal of the glass in the stair area - replacing it with improved fire resistance
• Improved smoke vents
• Dry riser will be moved to open area near the stairs on every floor
• Lift being upgraded as close to fire fighting lifts

To flats and communal areas:

• Evacuation system: Sound in the flats and a fire panel in the communal area for the London Fire Brigade

Kensington and Council Council wants to make sure that resident voices are always heard as residents are most familiar with their buildings.

You can meet your Building Safety Manager, Tina Mistry and Project Manager, Paul Folkes at the Family Fun Day on 7th August.

To contact Tina please call 07811 722 880 or email buildingsafetymanager@rbkc.gov.uk.

Please click here to view a copy of the full Resident's Newsletter.

Equans have helped brighten up Waynflete Square this month with the installation of new hanging baskets in the area.

As part of our social value commitment to RBKC and residents of the estate we recently arranged for the donation and installation of 10 hanging baskets filled with flowers on the lamposts around Waynflete Square.

We would like to thank RBKC's ground maintenance team for their support.

In addition to this, we have also been working with local colleges to support work experience for students and have employed an RBKC resident into our apprenticeship programme as one of our Resident Liaison Officers for this project.

On behalf of the Equans site team delivering these works, welcome to the Silchester Estate resident website.

On this site, we will display important information about the scheme including an introduction to Equans, our expertise and the team working on this scheme. We will also provide you with key contact details including our emergency out of hours number, show progress photos and provide updates on the works we're delivering throughout the duration of the scheme.

Take your time to browse each section at your own leisure but as a summary please see below:

• Introduction: Found at the top of the left side of the page, this section is our introduction to you, providing a brief explanation of who we are and what works we'll be carrying out on this scheme.
• News Feed: Found on the left side of the page underneath the 'Introduction' section, the 'News Feed' includes all our recent news and activity. It's in date order so the most recent news is always at the top for your convenience
• Contact us: Found at the top of the right side, this section details every member of the Equans site team appointed to this scheme as well as a brief explanation of their role and most importantly their contact details. We've shown the key contacts on the main page, but click more to see the full team
• About Equans: This section tells you a little more about us, our expertise and our approach to corporate responsibility.
• Careers at Equans: We're keen to promote recruitment, click the image displayed to view all our current vacancies. We also have apprenticeships available - just contact us for more details!
• Document Library: Like it says on the tin, here is where we display any relevant documents related to the works - you may already have a paper version of these documents, so these are just a copy that may come in handy to view, download or print
• Photo Library: Like the 'Document library', this is where we will display our progress photos taken throughout the duration of the works. Each image will also have a short caption to explain what's being shown

Please take the time to familiarise yourself with the website if you have any queries or concerns about works we're undertaking don't hesitate to call your dedicated Resident Liaison Officer - details can be found within our 'Contact Us' section.

Members of the Silchester Estate site team attended a Meet the Buyer event last month to meet local businesses.

Social Value Manager, Patrick Warren was joined by Operations Manager, Lewis Melisi on 23rd November at a Meet the Buyer event in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The event was organised to help local small and medium enterprises (SME's) meet contractors working in the borough to maximise local opportunities for local businesses.

The Equans team met some fantastic people who could potentially provide support on the Silchester Estate scheme.