This month, Durkan Regen had the pleasure of visiting Greenwich Foodbank, and donating £6,000 in partnership with our supply chain partners and Greenwich Builds, the council’s housebuilding arm.

As part of the visit, we were able to hear direct from the foodbank team about how the contribution will both bolster their day-to-day operations but also help the charity build a more resilient financial footing. This will mean it can plan ahead and explore opportunities to expand its vital services at a time when demand remains high.

Part of The Trussell Trust’s nationwide network, Greenwich Foodbank provides essential services to residents facing hardship, offering nutritionally balanced emergency food alongside wider support. Its role has become increasingly important in supporting vulnerable households across the borough and we’re delighted to have been able to help.

Our donation comes as we continue work on the nearby Kidbrooke Park Road development. The scheme forms part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s multi-award-winning Greenwich Builds programme and will deliver 452 much-needed council homes. The donation is just one example of our long-term commitment to leaving a positive and lasting legacy for the communities in which we work.

Kevin O’Connor, Head of Social Value at Durkan Regen, said: “At Durkan Regen, delivering genuine social value is central to the way we operate. We like to get to know the communities that we’re working in and understand how we can make the most meaningful difference to them. It quickly became clear that the work of the foodbank is critical to supporting local people in need, and we were keen to learn more about its services and to be able to support.”

Our work at Kidbrooke Park Road North continues to make good progress, with the second phase of 330 affordable homes expected to be completed in August this year. The development is one of the largest new build council housing schemes in England and, as well as creating new high-quality social housing, includes a new nursery, green spaces and an energy centre that will make the scheme a net zero development.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s (DESNZ) Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce heard from the team at Maitland Park Estate in Camden,  learning about a pioneering and accelerated ‘training-to-work’ programme for retrofit skills.

This training programme is being delivered by regeneration specialists Durkan Regen (who are future-proofing homes for residents at Maitland Park on behalf of Camden Council) as part of a wider set of skills programmes that have been developed in partnership with L&Q and The Skills Centre across Durkan Regen sites. The programme is of particular interest to the Taskforce given its strategic mission to facilitate the creation of a diverse, highly skilled and resilient workforce to deliver up to 5 million home upgrades by 2030.

The five-week programme focusses on training in high demand retrofit skills areas – such as wall insulation, roofing, cladding, window replacements and fire protection – and specifically targets people facing barriers to employment.

The Taskforce had the opportunity to learn more about the retrofit training-to-work programme and understand how it is making genuine headway in bridging the gap between training and secure employment, with the first two pilot programmes to offer guaranteed jobs for learners starting in June 2026.

The Taskforce also heard from the key partners involved – Durkan Regen, L&Q, Bauder, The Skills Centre, DWP and sustainable employment specialists Gement Connect – on the specifics of the programme, why it is successful and how this model could be scalable and replicable to the benefit of the wider construction sector.

Martin McCluskey, Minister for Energy Consumers at DESNZ and Co-chair of the Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce, said:

“The Workforce Taskforce will play an essential role in facilitating the creation of a diverse, skilled and resilient workforce.

“Getting a first-hand look at Durkan Regen’s pioneering retrofit programme highlighted the importance of our clean power mission and the opportunities it provides for skilled jobs.

The Warm Homes Plan will support up to 180,000 new jobs by 2030. Over the next 18 months, the Taskforce will be drawing on similar expert insight to enable those new jobs to be high-quality, well-paid and future-proofed.”

Kevin O’Connor, Head of Social Value Delivery at Durkan Regen and co-lead of the work to develop the accelerated ‘training-to-work’ programme, added: “It was a real privilege to host the Taskforce and demonstrate how, with the right approach, it’s absolutely possible to develop specialist skills quickly and in a targeted way that connects people with real jobs and fills critical skills gaps.

“We’ve been able to show how these schemes can do so much more too, particularly for the local communities around our projects. We can support those who find it difficult or even impossible to move into a career in construction. It’s a holistic approach and the scheme is already delivering great results, so it was a fantastic opportunity to share this with the Taskforce as it looks for innovative solutions that deliver practical results.”

The Retrofit Skills training-to-work Programme has been developed to look at new ways to fast-track people into gaps in the supply chain, and stands out for supporting people who face barriers to employment, including people not in education, employment or training, ex-offenders and the long-term unemployed.

Critically, the programme works closely with supply chains from the start to define the precise skills required for roles, aligning training content with employer needs and maximising the likelihood of sustained employment. Crucially, the programme moves successful trainees straight into employment in the supply chain on live projects, so they can immediately contribute to delivering successful decarbonisation upgrades in line with the government’s Warm Homes Plan.

Following this meeting, and over the next 18 months, the Taskforce, co-led by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), is working to develop outputs and outcomes, drawing on expert insight, technologies and initiatives, to build the workforce needed to best deliver the Warm Homes Plan.

We’re thrilled to announce that the regeneration of the Sutton Estate in Chelsea has been named as ‘best project for asset resilience’ at the Institution of Civil Engineers’ (ICE) London awards. The award pays testament to the way the regeneration has sensitively delivered modern, sustainable social housing while retaining and conserving the estate’s history and character.

The team here at Durkan Regen delivered the regeneration in partnership with Clarion Housing, HTA Design LLP, and Civic. Originally completed in 1913, the Sutton Estate was one of the first purpose-built social housing estates in the UK. For several years, the estate was earmarked for demolition and rebuilding, before the decision was made to instead focus on regeneration.

In a bid not to lose sight of the estate’s history, there was a concerted effort to retain as many original features as possible, from the restoration of the original iron stairwell railings to the use of the same Victorian font for signage.

Whilst honouring history and heritage, the regeneration of the Sutton Estate also focused heavily on sustainability and accessibility. Revolutionary ground source heat pumps have been installed that mean the flats do not use fossil fuel energy and the enhancement of green spaces on the estate has achieved a 40% biodiversity net gain.

The former small and outdated living spaces have been transformed into modern, spacious flats and the fitting of new lift shafts has also dramatically improved the accessibility of the building. The addition of balconies to many flats enhances the estate’s living spaces, demonstrating the full scale of possibility when it comes to the regeneration of social housing.

Steve Page, Operations Director for Durkan Regen commented: “Regenerating social housing is not only about upgrading and modernising, but also about enhancing unique characteristics and honouring a building’s history. This approach was embodied when regenerating the Sutton Estate and we’re delighted that the collaborative efforts of everyone involved have been recognised by the ICE London Awards.

“This is a shining example of well-thought-out full-scale regeneration that successfully marries modern homes together with community, sustainability, and heritage. The Sutton Estate now provides safe, warm, decent homes that are fit for today and fit for the future.”

We are pleased to share that the Guinness Partnership has appointed Durkan Regen to its £250 million remediation framework.

Throughout the four-year contract, we will be employing our comprehensive service offer, supporting the housing association’s work to remediate its residential and mixed-use developments.

Commenting on the appointment, Dan Germann, Managing Director of Durkan Regen, said: “This award is great news for our business, and testament to our experience in the sector, our specialist regeneration offer, and our reputation as an expert team able to deliver high-quality regeneration work at scale.

“We’re delighted to be working with the Guinness Partnership to ensure homes are safe, warm and fit for the future.”

The contract will see us deliver specialist regeneration work, including replacing facades, refurbishing balconies and upgrading lifts, as well as upgrading fire safety systems and undertaking compliance surveys.

The project will also include safety-critical activity such as structural repairs, replacing cladding and ensuring mechanical and electrical compliance.

Click here to find out more about Durkan Regen’s full-service capabilities and experience.

The partnership between Durkan and L&Q offers internal improvements including kitchen and bathroom refurbishments, refitting them to a high quality without any cost to tenants. This process, typically lasting between four and six weeks, helps to maintain the quality of housing offered to tenants by L&Q by furnishing the rooms in keeping with modern standards.

Durkan’s refurbishment team have become experts in planning the refurbishment process around a tenant’s lifestyle. We’re well experienced in delivering high-quality refits, with minimal disruption to residents. This was particularly important in this instance, as the team had to ensure that the tenant’s son, who needs constant care, could access the kitchen and bathroom to ensure his needs continued to be met.

During this refurbishment work, we also noticed that the tenant’s cooker had failed its electrical test, so completed the project by gifting them a brand-new one.

On the day that the work was completed the resident said: “Everyone has done an amazing job. I’m so pleased with the finish – the kitchen has become my favourite room in the house and it’s not because I like to cook!

Even before Durkan started the job, I was in my own head about how it was going to work, especially with not having a kitchen and my son having specific needs. But Durkan were amazing. Answered all my questions and kept me in the loop about who was arriving and when.”

Steve Page, Refurbishment Director at Durkan added: “Making a positive impact in the community is a key part of our work, and it’s great to see refurbishment projects such as this completed successfully, especially for such a well-deserving tenant. It goes to show how important this work is, and the difference it can make .

We’re thrilled to have reached 250 kitchen refurbishments in partnership with L&Q and we’re looking forward to the next 250 as we work to upgrade old housing stock.”

To compliment the new kitchen and bathroom, the resident received balloons and a bunch of flowers to celebrate.

L&Q has signed 15-year contracts with ten partners worth up to £300 million per year as the leading housing association moves forward with its sector leading Major Works Investment Programme.

The contracts will see Durkan and the partners deliver a range of services including estate and environmental improvements, planned mechanical and engineering works and internal decorations for L&Q residents. These will include specialist fire safety works inside L&Q Living (LQL) supported homes. The contracts will be initially worth around £100 million per year but are expected to increase to around £300 million in some years of the programme based on the level of activity and L&Q’s asset management priorities.

Residents have been closely involved with the programme. L&Q’s Residents Services Board, a formal part of its governance arrangements, have been overseeing the planning and monitoring of the programme, including advising on the selection of contractors.

L&Q’s Major Works Investment Programme is the industry’s largest investment programme – almost £3bn over 15 years – to improve the safety, comfort and environmental performance of resident’s homes. This will see all L&Q homes maintained to the Decent Homes Standard – a technical standard set by the government for public housing.
Through the programme, L&Q will also bring all its homes up to a minimum of Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C status by 2028 – a move boosted by the recent announcement that the organisation had secured £27 million of funding from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund for retrofitting homes.
The contracts have been awarded to companies of varying sizes and locations who will support L&Q with its drive to ensure that every resident has a decent home in which to live; Amber Construction; Axis Europe; Breyer Group, Durkan, Equans, Foster, Kier Places, Morgan Sindall Property Services; United Living and Wates. A signing ceremony was held last month to mark the occasion.

Beyond improving homes, the contracts include social value commitments to create a lasting impact in the communities where L&Q operates. These will include creating employment opportunities, including training and apprenticeships, alongside supporting community projects and charitable initiatives. Investments will be made into improving, or bringing back into use, community assets like community centres and playgrounds on estates.

Mark Newstead, Director of Major Works at L&Q said, “We’re delighted to confirm that ten fantastic like-minded partners are joining us for the next stage of our Major Works Investment Programme. Each shares our commitment to quality and excellence, whilst creating a positive impact on the communities where we work.”

Managing Director of Refurbishment, Jim Briggs said “This opportunity will provide Durkan’s refurbishment division a solid base for growth and will see our operational area expand eastwards creating new jobs within Durkan and for our supply chain. Appointment to this ground breaking framework demonstrates the professionalism and experience Durkan’s staff have to offer our clients.”

The Durkan team has received glowing feedback on the completion of its £1.4 million project to refurbish 30 flats at The Hides development in Harlow.

The extensive programme of refurbishment has been undertaken on behalf of Harlow Council and was completed with residents in situ.

Works included a new roof for the building, replacing windows and front doors, and new external wall insulation and render system. This will deliver critical benefits to residents as Kingsley Ogalanya, site manager for Durkan explains:

“The combination of new doors and windows, alongside the new external wall insulation and render system will make a significant difference to the insulation, air tightness and energy efficiency of the properties. At a time when so many people are struggling with energy bills, this sort of work is critical”.

In addition, Durkan has delivered a series of wider improvements including upgrades to communal lighting, boundary fencing, and safety railings, the installation of a secure door entry system and the restoration of pram and storage sheds on site. The team has also been busy replanting the embankments on the underpass in a bid to reduce litter and help the environment.

Speaking to local paper, Your Harlow, in March 2022, Councillor Simon Carter, Cabinet Member for Housing, said: “The contractors, Durkan, have done an excellent job in particular with the detail work around the external cladding and worked well with residents during this disruptive period.

“This smart looking building has revitalised a tired-looking part of the estate and will improve the quality of life for our residents.”

Site manager, Kingsley, supported by Resident Liaison Officer Tracy Ballinger, worked closely with residents throughout to keep them informed, and minimise noise and disruption.

Resident Tracy Salzen said: “Kingsley has been great. If I had any concerns or questions he would always be available to talk about it. If he didn’t have an answer he would find out and come back to us. All Durkan staff were professional and polite.”

She added, “We have lived here for three years now. When we moved in, I was embarrassed to say I live at the Hides, and my family was worried because the flats looked so rundown.  Now I am proud to be living in the Hides – the flats look amazing, they look so different and bright”.

The project is one of a number of refurbishment projects completed by Durkan’s specialist team. Jim Briggs, Refurbishment and Special Projects Directorsaid: “I’m delighted to hear the complimentary feedback for our work at The Hides. We have an expert refurbishment team that is experienced in working in occupied properties. Their care and consideration for residents, and for the quality of their work is a real asset to the Durkan Group.”

Durkan, one of London and the South-East’s leading independent housebuilding and construction companies, has been appointed by Clarion Housing Group to refurbish the Sutton Dwellings, part of Chelsea’s historic Sutton Estate.

Clarion secured planning permission in January 2022 to refurbish the four residential buildings, and with Durkan’s appointment construction work is set to begin in May 2022.

Work to the early 20th century-buildings will create 81 new one-to-four-bedroom flats, offering high quality homes and more sustainable living in the capital.  All of the 81 new homes will be offered as Social Rent and London Affordable Rent, providing much-needed affordable housing in one of London’s most expensive boroughs,

The refurbishment of Sutton Dwellings, which is right in the heart of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, includes complete building alterations to create new, spacious homes that are fit for modern living.  The homes will be sympathetically designed, keeping as much of the existing building as possible so the heritage feel is retained throughout.  Balconies, created as part of the original build but later enclosed, will also be reopened and reinstated to create unique, private outdoor spaces for residents.  Lifts will also be added to ensure accessibility for all.

Tim Carpenter, Managing Director for Construction at Durkan, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Clarion Housing Group again on another important project in the capital.  Not only will our work deliver much needed new homes in London, but it will build on the area’s existing heritage, giving historic and disused buildings a new lease of life.”

“This refurbishment also offers the opportunity to create vastly more efficient homes – a critical consideration given the rising cost of living.  By introducing new insulation and technology, we anticipate we can reduce the energy needed to run the building by up to 75 per cent.  That means a greener building in operation and cheaper bills for residents.”

The new homes will be high-quality and contemporary in their design, and will have access to a new communal garden, giving residents valuable outdoor space; including picnic areas, an orchard with a meadow, a play trail for all ages and new planting to attract bees and butterflies.

Paul Quinn, Director of Regeneration at Clarion Housing Group, said: “We look forward to working with Durkan on bringing these wonderful buildings back to life. This work forms part of a wider Clarion investment in the whole of the Sutton estate where we are upgrading all the existing homes alongside a much improved public realm and enhanced green spaces.”

As part of its longstanding commitment to give back to the communities in which it operates, leading London and home counties housebuilder and contractor Durkan has donated laptops to residents of Clarion’s Sherwood Close development in West Ealing, London.

Clarion Housing Group appointed Durkan to build the second phase of its regeneration of Sherwood Close in West Ealing in November 2020, constructing four blocks comprising more than 100 affordable apartments.

The past 18 months have shone a spotlight on the so-called ‘digital divide’, and the need to ensure that communities are not excluded from education, employment and wider society due to a lack of digital access.  Durkan wanted to help spark a positive change in addressing this significant challenge.

Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group, with the support of Durkan, identified five households that would benefit from a laptop donation.  The new laptops, funded by Durkan, were presented to the children of families living in homes that form part of the first phase of Clarion’s Sherwood Close regeneration in a small ceremony on 3^rd September.

For Durkan, this donation signals the start of a strategic investment in enhancing the way the communities they serve can, and do, engage with technology.  Moving forward, it is Durkan’s ambition to work with more housing associations, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations to improve access to digital services in their communities.

Present at the ceremony on 3^rd September were Kevin O’Connor, Head of Social Responsibility and Inclusion and Sonia Allen, Managing Resident Liaison Officer from Durkan, as well as representatives from Clarion Futures and Clarion’s regeneration team.

Kevin O’Connor, Head of Social Responsibility and Inclusion at Durkan, said: “The impact of the pandemic over the last 18 months has really highlighted the value of access to technology and how isolating and limiting it can be without it.  Investing in and supporting the communities in which we work and live is important to Durkan and donating the laptops to residents of Sherwood Close forms part of our wider commitment to that ambition.

“Durkan has a great relationship with the team at Clarion Housing and it’s good to be creating positive change through initiatives that demonstrate real social value and impact.  We’re looking forward to seeing how the new technology will help to support the continued education and development of children living in West Ealing.”

Steph Noyce, Head of Money and Digital at Clarion Futures, said: “Through our digital inclusion work, we provide digital skills training, support and devices including laptops, tablets and MiFi so Clarion residents can get online safely and confidently. Thanks to Durkan’s generous donation of five laptops for residents at Sherwood Close, we will be able to help more residents to benefit from being online. These devices, alongside ongoing support and training, will make a real difference to residents’ lives.”