The large-scale refurbishment project for Ferguslie Park Housing Association has seen 300 of the landlord’s 803 properties transformed, in an area which – like many of the UK’s economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods – has faced numerous challenges in recent years. A comprehensive strategy driven by Ferguslie Park Housing Association, however, to improve the quality of housing and the community facilities is ensuring that the future is looking bright for its residents.

Awarded the contract through Scotland Excel’s competitive tendering framework, CMS was tasked with replacing windows and doors that had gone beyond the point of economic repair. One of Ferguslie Park HA’s key aims was to ensure properties comply with the Scottish Government’s Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing (EESSH). This seeks to improve the energy efficiency of social housing in Scotland, helping to reduce energy consumption, fuel poverty and the emission of greenhouse gases.

The project involved the manufacture and installation of a range of PVCu window types, plus external doors complete with sidescreens, finished with a Rosewood external woodgrain to the exterior and white inside the homes. CMS was also able to meet the brief for enhanced security through its PAS 24 tested and Secured by Design licensed windows and doors, providing tenants with extra peace of mind and helping to reduce crime overall.

In addition to improving the quality of housing stock to deliver immediate benefits to tenants, by choosing CMS as their supply chain partner, Ferguslie Park HA has been able to leverage much broader environmental and social benefits. Firstly, CMS has ensured that all the ‘post-consumer’ waste windows and doors removed during the contract have been recycled, with zero waste going to landfill. And, secondly, by choosing CMS, Ferguslie Park HA is helping to support the local economy and a major regional employer which has one of Scotland’s most comprehensive training and apprenticeship programmes of its kind for young workers.

Ivor McCauley, head of operations at Ferguslie Park HA, said: “Our latest window and door replacement project was an extremely important part of our housing upgrade programme, designed to deliver better quality, more comfortable homes for our tenants. We are really pleased with the solutions provided by CMS. In addition to the performance benefits, which will make a really positive contribution to alleviating fuel poverty for affected tenants, the fact that the old windows and doors are being fully recycled ensures that we are not adding to landfill in undertaking this project, in line with what many of our tenants would want.”

David Ritchie, CEO of CMS Window Systems, added: “As with every social housing window and door contract completed by CMS, our project for Ferguslie Park HA demonstrates how a partnership approach between HAs and suppliers can deliver holistic sustainability benefits to residents and organisations. This joined up approach is proving successful right across Scotland and increasingly UK-wide, and we are delighted to be able to help our customers reduce their carbon footprint as they strive to deliver better homes for tenants.”