119 council homes upgraded in £6 million Grantham Earlesfield project

A council has completed its largest-ever £6 million estate refurbishment scheme.

South Kesteven District Council refurbished 119 homes on Grantham’s Earlesfield Estate.

Contractor United Living replaced 77 heating systems, rewired 102 homes, installed 95 kitchens and fitted 87 bathrooms.

Over 100 properties had asbestos removed, while 117 received new loft insulation and 106 were fitted with extractor fans to reduce damp and mould.

The council’s cabinet member for housing, Virginia Moran (Ind), praised the project’s on-time, on-budget delivery.

“This is the biggest renovation project in one area that we have ever completed. The size and scale have been huge,” she said.

“The level of performance in delivery for our tenants, coming in on budget and on time, has been amazing by all concerned.”

She said the post-Second World War homes, once temporary accommodation, have been transformed into modern, sustainable homes meeting Decent Homes standards.

During the two-and-a-half-year programme, nearly 100 households were temporarily rehoused using vacant properties on the estate to minimise disruption.

Final tenants have returned to upgraded homes with new doors, windows, fire-resistant lofts and better energy efficiency

United Living’s site manager Dave Platts said it had been a “huge and rewarding project”.

“These properties, for instance, are now asbestos-free, have new kitchens, new bathrooms and are homes for the 21st century,” he said.

“We hope that the tenants will love living in them.”

This refurbishment supports South Kesteven’s Corporate Plan 2024–2027 commitment to providing safe, sustainable housing that meets residents’ needs today and in the future.