Dacorum's grand designs: six new flats built on rooftops

The brand new one and two-bed flats have been built on top of 165 to 215 Longlands in Adeyfield, which have undergone major refurbishment.

The four one-bed and two two-bed flats have been added to Dacorum Borough Council’s housing stock, adding to its target of building 400 new council homes by 2020.

Longlands residents have been involved in deciding the priority work for their homes, which were some of the first to be built in Hemel’s new town development in the 1950s.

The work includes new external wall insulation which is rendered, replacement balconies, a new roof, new parapet, new front doors and new windows – all helping to lower residents’ fuel bills and eliminate damp.

There are also new designated bin areas, along with six new parking bays.

Councillor Margaret Griffiths, portfolio holder for housing, said: “There is huge demand for affordable homes in our borough, so it is a priority for us to build new council homes.

“When we started planning the refurbishment of this block in Adeyfield, its flat roof provided the perfect opportunity to extend without additional disruption to our tenants there.”

She added: “Our tenants at Longlands have been involved in these plans right from the start and we are all really excited that we are able to improve living conditions for these residents and provide more sustainable homes for those local people who need them and we thank the residents for their patience during the work.”

Contractor Keepmoat was overseeing the refurbishment work and construction of the new flats.

This is one of many new build projects being carried out by Dacorum Borough Council to provide more affordable homes across the borough.

More information is available on all the projects at www.dacorum.gov.uk/newbuild