Member Article

Work starts on Salford homes hit by floods

Nearly 300 homes hit by Salford’s Boxing Day floods are starting to undergo a major programme of improvements and repairs.

The Salix Homes’ properties were among those damaged across Salford in the devastating winter storms which caused the worst flooding in the city for 70 years.

This week two empty flood damaged properties, which have been fully repaired by the Salford-based housing association, are being opened to tenants as ‘show homes’ so people can see what the renovated homes will look like and what choices are on offer.

Salix Homes spent the first few months after the floods supporting tenants to rebuild their lives, drying properties out, and preparing homes for comprehensive flood refurbishment work.

Dehumidifiers were placed in properties to remove moisture and a financial support package put in place to get residents’ homes and lives fully back to normal.

With homes on the Riverside and Spike Island estates now fully dried out, the housing provider is now able to start its comprehensive programme of work.

Mark Foster, head of investment at Salix Homes, said: “We’re working as quickly as we can to ensure flood damaged homes are brought back to a good condition for our tenants. Our initial focus was on providing emergency relief - and the support we had from the local community was incredible during those awful first few weeks after the floods.

“Once the waters had receded, and flood damaged items had been removed, our focus shifted to getting homes dried out. Only when homes have been certified as dry could we begin the process of carrying out the long-term repairs and refurbishments which are needed. Now begins the major effort to really get people their homes back - to return them to the condition they have rightly come to expect of us as a landlord.”

Three Greater Manchester contractors - Emanuel Whittaker, Seddon and A.Connolly Ltd, have been appointed to deliver the repairs over the coming months. They will carry out work, including new kitchens, skirting boards, vinyl floors, radiators and decorating where required.

Residents have been given a choice of fixtures including flooring and kitchen units.

Mark Foster adds: “We will be writing to tenants in the next few weeks to let them know when work will be carried out to their home. Our aim is to make sure customers are kept fully informed of what is being done and when. And of course we will do our very best to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum. It’s been a really difficult few months for these customers and I want to assure people that we are doing everything we can to get this work done as quickly as possible.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hayley Collins .