Bolton contractor Forrest lands £7m Knowsley project

Forrest, the Bolton-based contractor, has secured a £7m contract to deliver upgrades across five tower blocks in Knowsley.

The revamp project for Villages Housing Association, which is part of ForViva Group, includes the installation of a new biomass heating system to replace old storage heaters in the properties, providing renewable energy to 450 homes.

As part of the revamp, Villages also wants to enhance on-site parking, improve storage and recycling facilities, and upgrade security with a new CCTV system.

The energy director of Forrest, Paul McCarren, said: “More housing associations are considering biomass to improve the value of their properties, become more sustainable and help their customers with rising energy bills.

“We’re now able to deliver biomass on larger scales, which makes it perfect for providing renewable energy to local communities and passing on savings to tenants.”

He continued: “As such, we expect biomass to be a growth area for us as housing associations, and larger commercial organisations, continue to make renewables a big part of their property portfolios.”

With work on upgrades now underway, the project is due for completion in September.

The managing director Villages, Paul Carhart, who is also ForViva’s group director of customer services, commented: “As part of our Community Impact Strategy, we are striving to ensure all our homes and neighbourhoods are of the very best quality to ensure our residents can lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

“By using clean technology to ensure all homes within the tower blocks are environmentally friendly, we are creating an innovative solution that alleviates fuel poverty through reduced bills whilst also ensuring that our residents’ health is improved through warmer homes.”