Sheffield Council invests £8.5 million on making old homes greener

The funding was approved during a co-operative executive meeting this week.

There are 167 properties across Beighton, Hackenthorpe, Halfway, Lane End, Main Street/ Blacksmith Lane and Wharncliffe Side that will be addressed with the money.

They are all Airey Type homes, which were built between the first and second world wars. These types of buildings used pre-cast concrete and in-situ concrete, timber, steel and occasionally cast-iron construction.

Problems with carbonation and the presence of detrimental chloride levels in reinforced concrete houses like these led to some being designated defective under legislation brought in the 1980s.

In a report ahead of the executive meeting, Damian Walker, finance manager, said: “The aim is to undertake structural repairs necessary which are associated with the Airey properties, renew the roofs, renew windows and apply an external wall insulation to the properties.”

The work aims to remove the risk of structural failure, extend the lifespan of the houses by at least 30 years, improve insulation values and thermal efficiency and increase the number of better insulated and energy efficient homes which contributes towards Sheffield’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

At the same meeting, the city leaders committed to plans to introduce a carbon literacy training programme for all councillors and key staff and set out a 10-point plan by autumn to tackle the climate emergency in Sheffield and work with people, partners and businesses to develop and deliver the actions needed to deliver it.