L&Q

It's Back to School week, so it's only natural that our #SiteUpdateFriday this week would take us to Beaulieu, where we just celebrated the opening of our new primary school - The Beaulieu Park School! We worked together with regional construction firm R G Carter, Essex County Council, Ingleton Wood and successfully delivered the expanded school building, which has been designed with sustainability at its core. The completed two-storey facility features classrooms for reception, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils, as well as a dedicated nurture class space. Additionally, the new building includes a modern sports hall, kitchen, dining area, and various outdoor spaces, such as recreational areas, playing fields, and a habitat area. Creating a community, not just building homes, is the vision shared by both L&Q and our JV Partners Countryside, part of Vistry Group, as Beaulieu showcases placemaking in style. This is why Beaulieu Square was home to Essex’s first all-through school, The Beaulieu Park School which opened its doors to primary school children in September 2018 and secondary school pupils in September 2019. This new, net zero, school doubles the number of primary school places on offer and truly makes Beaulieu a place for people of all ages to live and enjoy.

Once again this year, it was a pleasure and a privilege to be part of the Manchester Pride parade with HouseProud-LGBT and Rainbow Roofs. There is something very special in Housing Associations uniting in celebration of diversity and equality and, coupled with the electric atmosphere created by the crowds, makes this event one like no other. The amount of work and planning that goes into the event cannot be understated. The parade really brings people together and power of unity and love really shines through even on a rainy Manchester day!

We're pleased to announce we have recently joined the Manchester Housing Providers' Partnership (MHPP), as part of our commitment to put partnership work at the heart of our ambition to deliver further housing growth in the city and play our part in delivering Manchester’s housing strategy. The MHPP brings together the registered housing providers and the City Council in partnership to facilitate local delivery on key strategic themes. These include growth and the delivery of affordable homes, community safety, homelessness, zero carbon, as well as employment and skills. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e_c_4ucc

🌟 Project Update with L&Q We're making significant progress on the roof renovation of one of the tower blocks at Lewisham Park Towers. The current roof has been prone to leaks and poor insulation, so Bradley Green at L&Q has tasked us with replacing it with a cutting-edge Bauder Flat Roofs system. This upgrade will: ⚡ Boost the building's energy efficiency 🔥  Reduce heating costs ♻️ Lower its environmental footprint These improvements will offer long-term benefits to both residents and the environment. Check out the video to see our work in action! #FlatRoofing #Roofing #PropertyDevelopment #ConstructionIndustry #Housing

It is not only us saying that our in-house construction team is excellent - Considerate Constructors Scheme agree! This week's #SiteUpdateFriday celebrates the perfect score achieved by our Walthamstow Stadium team, who are carrying out a complex remediation scheme on a 294-home development, with residents in situ. On the last Considerate Constructors site visit earlier this month, the team achieved a perfect score and the following commentary: "Overall this is an excellent site which puts the care of the residents and support of the workforce at the forefront of their operations." Currently in year 1 of a 3-year, five-phase temporary rehousing programme, the extensive remedial works at Walthamstow Stadium will bring all 294 homes on site up to the high standards that residents deserve. The programme includes property improvements and fire safety upgrade works to town houses, maisonettes and apartments along with associated public realm enhancements. The works are expected to continue for a further two years and the majority of residents will at some point have to move out for a period of five months while we do works in their homes. Currently the team have successfully completed works to over 120 of the 294 homes, and a large part of the external areas and are well underway to working towards a successful completion. The last remaining households are expected to move into their temporary homes in April 2026 and to return to their permanent homes in September 2026.

“People with complex needs should have an appropriate support structure in place. When the system fails to provide, the burden often falls on housing officers, despite them lacking the specialised training required.” Charlie Culshaw, director of care and support at L&Q, shared his thoughts with Inside Housing on bridging the gap between supported and general needs housing. Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/ehsj4XzV

We are pleased to share a special moment as our Major Works Investment Programme partners Durkan recently completed their 250th property installation, marking a significant milestone for the team. This project was particularly meaningful as support was delivered to a truly deserving resident.   The resident, who cares full-time for her disabled son, had to give up her job to meet his needs. During their work, Durkan discovered her old cooker had failed the electrical test, so surprised her with a brand-new one alongside balloons and a bouquet of flowers. The resident was so touched that she had to hold back tears, it's moments like these that remind us why we do what we do.

At L&Q, we believe that everyone deserves a quality home that gives them the chance to live a better life and, for many, social housing provides a much needed lifeline towards stability and a better future. As the latest report by The G15 showed, social housing, especially in large cities like London, is crucial for those squeezed out by the private rented sector. For this week’s #SiteUpdateFriday we shine a spotlight on our newest development in London delivering 100 social rented homes, including a large proportion of family units – Rookery Grove (The Hyde). We recently welcomed representatives from Brent Council who appreciated the quality of the new homes and viewed some stunning three and four-bedroom affordable rent homes, all with large gardens and generous external terraces. You can read the full latest G15 report here: https://lnkd.in/eQRSHD4S

Happy Pride Weekend, Manchester! We are so excited to be marching Manchester Pride Parade with HouseProud NorthWest again this year. 🎉 Pride unites us, celebrating diversity, equality, and love. We embrace and honor the LGBTQIA+ community, recognising the journey towards inclusivity. Whether you march, attend events, or spread love from afar. Have a fantastic weekend of joy. 🏳️🌈 Here's to love and equality for all! 🌈✨

With Manchester Pride just around the corner, we've been reflecting on the significance of Pride and how it connects to the workplace. We reached out to our LGBTQIA+ staff network, Spectrum, to hear their thoughts on the importance of fostering an inclusive culture. 🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️