Improving homes
Last year, we told you about our ambitions to develop our retrofit plans. We’ve now identified the neighbourhoods where we’ll prioritise our work, and understand which improvements are best suited to each type of property.
We are also using learning from previous projects – and insight that other housing providers have shared with us – to shape our plans, and understanding more about the funding and resources available.
Our enhanced knowledge and data will help us to continue to make improvements to homes from April 2024.
Meet Anokhee, our new Sustainability Lead
Anokhee has joined our Asset, Strategy and Development Team to lead on our ambitions to be more sustainable, and to reduce the environmental impact of our work and homes.
Why did the role appeal to you?
My motivation for this role comes from further afield. My family lives in India, and in the last few trips I’ve made back home I’ve noticed a visible deterioration of air quality. Its hard to find a clear day where you see blue skies and the contrast is heightened when I come back to Sheffield where we have relatively good air quality. I feel blessed to be living in one of the greenest cities in the UK and I would like to make sure we preserve that for generations to come.
I believe sustainability goes beyond just making green choices. To make sure we’re truly sustainable we need to make choices that improve people’s health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and have financial longevity. This role gives me an opportunity to influence those decisions and create sustainable, affordable housing in communities across South Yorkshire.
New green spaces
We’re introduced more green spaces to our homes and communities. They help to create lovely places to live by offering more places to relax and socialise, promoting biodiversity, and bringing colour, bees and butterflies to our streets and gardens. Wildflower meadows are also more sustainable for us to maintain.
At Browning Court we’ve updated the garden for customers to enjoy, and, in our neighbourhoods in Canklow, our new green spaces act as vibrant and welcoming gateways to our streets. At Cuthbert Bank we’ve renewed the turf and meadows, and have new knowledge and plans to support them to thrive.
The landscaping at both Browning Court and Cuthbert Bank were designed as part of an ongoing collaboration with the Design Research Project Stack at The University of Sheffield. Our customers, employees, and other stakeholders were engaged in the co-creation of this landscape design to provide an outdoor space which reflects what customers want and need.
The planting at Browning Court and Cuthbert Bank received grant funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. Thank you very much to everyone involved in the co-creation of these spaces, and to our funders and partners.
