Wates hands over new-look Hulme towers
Wates Living Space has completed the renovation of four tower blocks in Hulme, Manchester for City South Manchester Housing Trust.
The £7.5m makeover of the 1960s blocks Ledburn, Thomas, St George's and Westcott Courts at the junction of Chorlton Road and the A56 Chester Road included full insulation and new aluminium and clay tile outer skin.
The improvements were designed by Manchester-based architects 2e Edelmann and Ebling. The work is the first phase of a £25m programme to modernise 11 blocks of flats owned by the housing association in the city.
City South Manchester Housing Trust was formed two years ago following the transfer of more than 4,300 homes in Hulme, Moss Side, Whalley Range and Fallowfield from Manchester City Council.
"The location of these properties, at the end of Deansgate and at the gateway to the city centre, makes them extremely popular places to live," said Dave Power, chief executive of City South Manchester Housing Trust.
"These flats were seriously in need of investment. Tenants were complaining that they were cold and damp. So, using the latest design technology we have been able to improve the thermal insulation of the individual flats, reduce energy consumption and create buildings that are sustainable and easy to maintain.
"These improvements are by far the most radical and exciting project we have undertaken so far and form a major part on the wider regeneration of Hulme."
Work will start in the new year on phase two which will cover Duffield Court, Fulton Court, Hornchurch Court and Royce Court in Hulme.
