L&Q’s drive to invest in residents’ homes turns three
In April 2023, L&Q launched its £3bn, 15-year Major Works investment programme. Since then, the housing association has made significant progress in its sector leading drive to enhance the safety, comfort and environmental performance of residents’ homes.
So far, a wide range of improvements have been delivered across 21,000 L&Q homes, including:
- 5,042 new kitchens installed
- 3,439 new bathrooms installed
- 6,671 windows replaced
- 739 new roofs fitted
- £283m invested to upgrade and modernise residents’ homes
- more than £100m generated in social value
- upgrades to warden call systems, intercoms, lifts internal and external decorations
This work is being delivered with nine partners: Amber Construction Services, Axis Europe, Durkan Regen, Equans UK & Ireland, Foster Property Maintenance Ltd, Kier Places, Morgan Sindall Property Services, United Infrastructure and Wates Property Services.
The partnership will improve residents’ homes, so they meet the Decent Homes Standard, the government’s benchmark for the quality of social housing.
The programme will cover all L&Q’s rented homes, along with communal areas in buildings that include shared ownership and leasehold homes.
As well as kitchens, bathrooms, windows and roofs, improvements will include:
- mechanical and engineering upgrades
- estate and environmental improvements
- scheduled redecorations
- fire safety works
- energy efficiency improvements to help reach EPC C across all homes, including new kitchens, bathrooms, boilers, insulation and other essential upgrades
More than £100 million generated in social value
From its outset, the programme has focused not only on improving residents’ homes, but also on having a positive impact in the communities that residents live in.
Social value is written into the contracts with partners and is one of the programme’s six core targets.
The L&Q Foundation and its Community Development Leads work in partnership with local residents to develop programmes which meet their needs.
Together, £100m in social value has been generated through employment, training, community investment and other initiatives.
Learn more about this recent achievement.
What’s next?
Together with its partners, L&Q will continue the great work that’s already been done. By the end of the programme, there will be:
- 48,000 new kitchens
- 42,000 new bathrooms
David Lewis, Executive Group Director of Property and Investment at L&Q, said:
“This is one of the most ambitious investment programmes in the sector, and the first three years already show its wide‑reaching impact - for residents, their homes and their wider communities.
“Together with our partners, we’re laying the foundations for safer, warmer and more sustainable homes for decades to come.”