Engaging Residents in Regeneration: Lessons from Pendleton

A wide-ranging urban regeneration programme is taking place in the Pendleton area of Salford. A substantial element of this work entails the refurbishment and retrofit of existing, tenanted properties. Flats and houses have been subject to kitchen and bathroom replacements, new windows and doors, and a new heating system based around an air source heat pump, and these modifications are being rolled out across the area. Throughout this process, effective tenant engagement is essential. Such refurbishment has the potential to be disruptive and stressful for residents; however, appropriate information and channels of communication can help to mitigate this. It is important that residents are well-informed and also have an active voice in the process of refurbishment and its outcome. The Together Housing Group have been awarded the Customer Service Excellence mark, which places an emphasis developing customer insight and the robust management of customer satisfaction. The organisation have commissioned the Sustainable Housing & Urban Studies Unit to carry out a rapid review of handover and tenant engagement with respect to the refurbishment works carried out to date. The study is a review, based on desk research, discussions with relevant Pendleton Together and Keepmoat staff, and interviews with contractors and tenants occupying a range of properties. In total 30 interviews were conducted.