Gentoo thanks Sunderland high-rise tenants for patience during improvement work

Sunderland's biggest housing association says an improvement scheme carried out at one of it’s high rise buildings is a success, "thanks to continuous customer engagement".

Gentoo’s improvements at Hedworth Court in Hendon started in June 2023 and have seen benefits to the building’s 76 homes.

These include new kitchens and bathrooms, rewiring, a new front entrance fire door, updated sprinkler system, efficient electric heating system and extra fire stopping measures.

These measures include the installation of a new fire alarm system, new automatic ventilation system on the staircase and sprinkler system in the communal areas.

Before work started, Gentoo and its contractor Equans invited tenants to look around a show flat and ask any questions they might have about the upcoming work.

Equans also hosted a weekly drop-in event to keep customers updated on their progress and to address any concerns raised by by them.

The improvement scheme is the first time Gentoo has carried out intrusive work of this kind in a high-rise residential building while their tenants remained in their homes.

Marc Edwards, director of Asset and Sustainability at Gentoo said: “We understand this kind of improvement work can be very disruptive to the customers, but this scheme is a great example of how if you get the engagement right, the scheme can be successful.

“The high level of engagement ensured customers knew what to expect at every part of the work resulting in 100% access first time to every flat and high levels of customer satisfaction.

Darren Sterling, regional director at Equans, said: “I want to pass on my gratitude to the whole Equans and Gentoo project team that delivered amazing work at Hedworth Court.

“To get such high levels of engagement and support from customers isn’t down to luck, it’s a testament to the efforts of everybody involved to put the customer first and make sure they felt supported and heard during the course of the scheme.”

Residents were invited to celebrate the completion of the work at a gathering in the newly refurbished communal lounge, to thank them for their patience and cooperation while the improvements were carried out.