A fifty-five-home high rise in the heart of Bedford has been given the green light for a multi-million-pound refurbishment.
Planning permission has been granted for bpha’s Ashburnham Court in Ashburnham Road to undergo works including a new external building fabric and substantial insulation and thermal efficiency upgrades.
bpha was recently urged by Bedford Borough Council’s Climate Committee to be bold with their aims to improve the energy efficiency of their properties.
Read: Climate Committee urges bpha to ‘aim higher’ on social housing energy efficiency
Internal and external communal areas will also be significantly improved, with the refurbishment ensuring the longevity and sustainability of the building.
Ashburnham Court is the first of bpha’s long-term Vista project which aims to improve and enhance a number of the housing association’s tower blocks in Bedford.
The next phase includes Bury Court in Church Lane, with the potential to increase the number of affordable homes on the site.
Julie Wittich, bpha’s executive director of assets, said, “We are delighted to be investing in and improving our tower blocks in Bedford town centre.
“Discussions with our residents at Ashburnham Court have helped us to identify the key areas to focus on and will not only help ensure the longevity of the building, but also improve its energy efficiency for the benefit of our customers and for future generations in line with our environmental strategy.”
A tender process to appoint a main contractor for the Ashburnham Court works has begun, with an appointment anticipated by September 2020.