Platform Housing Group, the largest landlord in the Midlands, is celebrating a shortlisting at the upcoming Midlands Residential Property Awards for its scheme in the Peak District National Park.

The site at Colonel Wright Close in Bakewell was finished last summer after some 10 years of hard work by the group and its partners in the planning and local authorities.

One of a very small number of affordable schemes in the area, the development of 30 homes was completed using stone from the local quarry to sit in keeping with the beautiful natural area. 

Platform are one of Homes England’s strategic partners and the project is viewed as a great example of what can be achieved by the housing sector.

“Well done to Platform and its partners for delivering a truly fantastic scheme. It’s a visually stunning scheme delivering high quality housing in an area of outstanding beauty and with high demand for affordable housing. This is a great result for the local community,” said Tom Hawley, Head of Affordable Housing at Homes England.

Local residents have been delighted with the results, enabling them to afford to stay in the town where they grew up, which saw one of the highest rises in house prices in the UK during the last two years.

“We’ve got specific purposes to conserve the area, but we also have a duty to look after our communities. With Colonel Wright Close, we’ve formed some really strong partnerships and even though we have different agendas, in terms of the constraints we’ve got, this is a fantastic achievement,” added Brian Taylor, head of planning at the Peak District National Park Authority.

The developer for the scheme was Lindum Group. A spokesperson said: “The scheme took more than a decade to come to fruition and the nomination is recognition of the hard work and dedication by our client, Platform Housing. A lot of care and attention was put into ensuring the homes were built to maintain the look of the area and our construction team worked with local planners to agree material selections. This involved producing sample panels of stonework and render to prove the quality of the products. We also liaised with the local quarry to ensure stone supplies would be readily available.  The final result is a development of much-needed homes in a beautiful part of the country and it would be fantastic if the scheme was crowned winner on the night. “

“This just shows how a small site can have a huge impact on the area and the community. To have such a beautiful scheme that provides much needed affordable housing in the town makes us very proud. I’d like to thank all the partners that worked so hard over a long period of time to help achieve this,” concluded Group Chief Executive at Platform Elizabeth Froude.

The awards take place on June 23^rd at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham where Platform has also been shortlisted for the Social Housing Award.

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News

Two social landlords have joined forces in a newly formed partnership to offer a more locally based repairs service.

Platform Housing Group and national housing provider, Stonewater, have signed a contract which will see Platform Property Care – a subsidiary of Platform Housing Group – undertaking repairs on Stonewater homes in Herefordshire and surrounding areas.

Leon Storer, Assistant Director of Homes – Capital Investment at Stonewater explained: “I’m really pleased to say that from 1 April this year, Stonewater’s repairs in this area will be delivered by Platform Property Care. Platform already has homes in the same location as ours and by working with a partner that is based geographically closer to our customers there are a host of benefits. Not only does this bring together two likeminded organisations, with shared values, it ensures that customers across this area receive fantastic services that demonstrate true value for money.”

The work to be carried out at Stonewater’s homes will include home repairs and maintenance, and repairs to empty properties that are due to be re-let to new customers. It is hoped that in time Platform will also take over responsibility for on-going maintenance projects, like the fitting of new kitchens and bathrooms.

Lee Vernalls, Assistant Director at Platform Property Care said: “We are delighted to announce this new partnership with Stonewater. We share the same social values and will ensure excellent service delivery.”

Platform Housing Group has a similar arrangement with Rooftop Housing; the Worcestershire based social landlord that is a charitable association and focuses on provision of affordable housing for all household types and needs.

Stonewater customers wishing to report a repair can do so through the usual ways, either via MyHome or by calling 01202 319 119. Tenancy agreements and repairs standards will remain the same.

Property & Development Magazine | The Home of Residential Sector News

A property maintenance company has completed a remote repairs trial to speed up home repairs. 

Platform Property Care remote repairs; a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group – completed the month long trial with its communications partner, 8×8. 

The remote repairs trial – which took place earlier this year – involved the organisation’s tradespeople offering a live video solution to fix a host of customer property repairs. 

Lee Vernalls, Assistant Director – Business Development and Growth at Platform Property Care explained : “This latest remote repairs trial allowed our operatives to conduct a two way video call with customers so that any repairs could either be seen prior to a visit or fixed remotely.  Crucially, when a remote fix was not possible, the system meant that our tradespeople were able to have the correct materials to repair the problem on arrival.” 

The process originates from an SMS message sent to the customer by the tradesperson; a simple click on the link starts the video call with no need to download any software or set up an account.  The operative can then take pictures from the customer’s camera which are automatically saved into the organisation’s system; importantly the images can be annotated in real time in order to talk the customer through a remote repair. 

The results from the trial are encouraging with 39 per cent of calls resulting in a remote repair and 26 per cent of calls reducing the need for an initial inspection visit; heating was the largest remote fix area. 

Matt Bell, EMEA Vice President of CPaaS Sales said : “Organisations like Platform Housing Group are faced with having to reimagine both employee and customer engagement to meet unique challenges posed by a distributed workforce and a mobile-first customer base. The ability to extend 8×8 XCaaS by adding real-time video interaction capabilities will allow Platform Housing Group to deliver an even higher level of service and support for its customers.” 

Since the trial concluded, a business case is being prepared to introduce the system into Platform Property Care on a full time basis. 

Lee concluded : “The trial of the 8×8 live video solution has shown a number of positive outcomes including an improved customer experience, a reduction in the number of home visits and more availability for those jobs which required a physical presence.  Importantly it reduced time spent travelling which ultimately – if we adopt the system – will have a positive impact on our carbon footprint.” 

Since the merger of Fortis Living and Waterloo Homes at the end of last year to become Platform Housing Group, changes and development within the property maintenance arm have been ongoing.  Establishing Platform Property Care has included bringing gas servicing and breakdown in house to ensure a seamless service to customers; these, and other initiatives, have resulted in the organisation winning the coveted status. 

Platform Property Care – launched in October 2018 – employs more than 300 people, including 27 apprentices.  Its growth plans include a turnover of £50million by 2023.  Recent improvements include better diagnostics, intelligent scheduling, assertive supply chain management and investment in new technologies.  Results include 100 per cent of homes being both gas and electrically compliant. 

For further information about Platform Property Care please visit www.platformhg.com. 

Property & Development Magazine

Platform Property Care has announced two senior promotions. 

Promotions announced at property maintenance company Property Care – a subsidiary of one of the UK’s largest social landlords, Platform Housing Group has appointed Adam Rudge as Head of Service for Voids and Duncan Palmer as Head of Service for Responsive Repairs; both roles are newly created.

Previously Operations Manager for Voids and Grounds, Adam’s new role will see him responsible for the operational and financial delivery of all Platform Property Care’s group void servicing teams. 

Adam – who has worked in social housing maintenance for more than 18 years – started his career as an apprentice plumber and gas engineer before qualifying as a gas engineer.  Over the course of his career, Adam has studied horticulture and gained accreditation from The Royal Horticultural Society.  He has also successfully completed an advanced level management apprenticeship as well as a qualification from The Institute of Leadership and Management. 

Adam said : “I am thrilled with my new role, which will, I hope, allow me to influence a sector I am passionate about.  Delivering a consistently excellent service to all our customers is at the very heart of what we do and I am excited about my part in this as we move forward.” 

The promotions are part of a wider restructure within the business which has created five new service areas; the objective being to offer a designated service function for each area of the maintenance business as well as providing a consistent approach to how services are delivered group wide. 

Previously Operations Manager for Responsive Repairs, Duncan Palmer has been promoted to Head of Service for Responsive Repairs.  This new role will see Duncan managing the delivery of the group’s responsive repairs service which aims to deliver more than 100,000 responsive repairs each year. 

Duncan – who has twenty years’ experience in social housing – originally started out as an electrician. 

Duncan explained : “This new role is an exciting step forward for my career.  Platform Property Care is a great place to work and I feel very fortunate to have been given this opportunity.  By supporting my team and providing a clear purpose, I hope to make a positive impact on PPC’s aim to become a sector leading repairs organisations that puts our customers and colleagues first.” 

Since the merger of Fortis Living and Waterloo Homes at the end of 2019 to become Platform Housing Group, changes and development within the property maintenance arm have been ongoing.  Establishing Platform Property Care has included bringing gas servicing and breakdown in house to ensure a seamless service to customers; these, and other initiatives, have resulted in the organisation winning the coveted status. 

Dennis Evans, Executive Director at Platform Property Care said : “We are delighted to announce these two new roles and the promotions of both Adam and Duncan.  Their new responsibilities are testimony to the hard work and dedication that they have shown throughout their careers within social housing.  We wish them all the best as we continue on our journey to become a truly modern housing association.” 

Platform Property Care – launched in October 2018 – employs more than 300 people, including 27 apprentices.  Its growth plans include a turnover of £50million by 2023.  Recent improvements include better diagnostics, intelligent scheduling, assertive supply chain management and investment in new technologies.  Results include 100 per cent of homes being both gas and electrically compliant. 

For further information about Platform Property Care please visit www.platformhg.com. 

Property & Development Magazine

Kitchen refurbishments for customers

A housing association has announced a kitchen refurbishment programme, following on from a recent customer consultation survey. 

Platform Housing Group – one of the largest social housing landlords in the UK – will start work modernising 750 kitchens from spring this year, with the expectation of increasing these numbers over the coming years. 

The survey was conducted during February, with a 92 per cent response rate, covering Lincolnshire, Worcestershire, Nottinghamshire, Herefordshire, Derbyshire, West Midlands, Leicestershire and Rutland. 

Riccardo Frumenzi, Operations Manager at Platform Housing Group explained: “This is the first time we have undertaken such a detailed survey; as such we have gained real customer insight.  We have been delighted with the feedback and the fact that our customers have embraced the choices on offer.” 

After the consultation process the customers have chosen the following improvements: modern high line cupboards, drawer packs, a bowl and a half sink as standard and mixer taps.  Customers have also chosen to have the option of a larder unit instead of wall cupboards.  All design options are available as the customer requires them, these include various kitchen styles, worktop colours, paints, flooring and tiles. 

The project is a partnership between Platform and leading kitchen manufacturer/designer: Howdens Joinery, over the next 4 years. 

Neil Francombe, Regional Contracts Manager at Howden Joinery said: “We are extremely pleased to be involved in this revised programme of works.  We understand our obligation as a supply partner with Platform Housing and what they expect from us in terms of value and expertise.  They’re commitment to customer service and delivering quality is something we are proud to be part of.  Our contracts division will support Platform and their customers throughout and look to further strengthen our relationship as we deliver this exciting new kitchen offer.” 

Each individual kitchen will take in the region of a week to install.  The team will work with individual customers to minimise disruption, ensure any temporary arrangements are safe and workable and reinstate all mains appliances as quickly as possible. 

Riccardo concluded: “As part of our journey to become a truly modern housing association, we want to ensure that our homes are high quality ones.  Our kitchen project will be delivered with the customer in mind, offering them tailored and modern kitchen choices for their homes.” 

Property & Development Magazine