Round Table Review 13


however he “understood that it takes a brave fi nance director to look at that in the long term.” She asserted that at LNQ, a “major works partnership” approach


“involved building relationships with contractors and residents over 15 years, and really looking at what good looks like, because work is done, but how is it experienced?” She said they had “spent a lot of time really thinking about it, including with contractors involved; I go out on visits, and it’s really instructive to gather info and see things; the physical manifestation of decisions you have made.”


THERMAL PERFORMANCE & PRESSURE ON PROVIDERS Delegates emphasised a key reason why fl ooring must be considered as far beyond an aesthetic fi nishing touch, and fundamental to how the overall building performs – namely the increased focus on energy effi ciency throughout the sector, including for tenants’ resilience. Andy Cameron- Smith, communications director, Healthy Homes Hub, posed the idea that if the fl ooring is good, you might not be losing the heat, so all of a sudden, the technology you put in works better.” He admitted there was a “lot of pressure” on social housing providers, but


they “needed to take a step back, and look at what fl ooring really means.” He said as well as “improving thermal comfort,” it can “make people feel better,” but he added that “sometimes we look at little things in isolation,” rather than the desired holistic focus on all the impacts. He also said the focus on cost needed to be broadened to a more long-term, look at whole life costs. T e discussion came around to focus on retrofi t, and Chris Roberts of


Beaufl or cited one contractor client which was doing retrofi t fl ooring for housing associations, and had persuaded one to go for a product with a 10-year guarantee, rather than a fi ve year, with a 40% cost upliſt . T ere were instantly a range of improved outcomes for tenants, as well as better sustainability scores for the housing association, and performance benefi ts as properties become required to upgrade to EPC C across the sector. T e chair Matt Baird asked the group whether the sector was pursuing


innovative ideas with suppliers on improving properties’ fl ooring, in the absence of concerted Government action, bearing in mind the impacts including on sustainability. “Why do we think fl ooring isn’t discussed? Is it because of a knowledge gap, or is it simply a case of ‘we don’t have to’? Fayann came back to the “lack of long term thinking,” and also the issue


of “what can you do that one time you come into the person’s home,” i.e. competing priorities, so this fed into the need for a “single home standard”


DON’T STRIP OUT, REUSE Chinyere Onyeka from Peabody revealed that contractors tended to strip out fl ooring between tenancies as a standard practice


which would encompass all the key measures. Andy Cameron-Smith said that “there were too many arguments around retrofi t, for example, should it be fabric fi rst, or not – how do we just make the home ‘decent’? It should be one; is it cheaper to run, is comfort and air quality better, and have you cut emissions? You have to look at everything in the round.”


SOLUTIONS Delegates discussed the need for a “baseline standard” of fl ooring, outside of the key provisions for kitchens and bathrooms, and the chair asked what they would propose. While Chinyere Onyeka-Joseph said that consulting tenants was the key, but that oſt en the results were not as expected, Fayann Simpson said that it was important to have an “honest conversation.” Charlene pointed out the issue of fl ooring being given to tenants as a “giſt ,” and whether or not it could then be changed if not liked by the tenant. Beaufl or representatives asked several pertinent questions around promoting


fl ooring in new build and retrofi t scenarios, including “what matters most, being compliant or ensuring a better standard of home?” However, Andrew Cameron-Smith had to somewhat dampen the potential saying there was a “big gap” around standards that would require any compliance, but this becomes an opportunity to be able to display the diff erence it makes if it becomes a standard that the sector can adopt.” Delegates from the sector such as Onyeka-Joseph said that the health impacts


of homes have only been recently brought to bear as a result of real issues cropping up for tenants – “It’s taken Awaab’s Law for us to actually see the devastation.” Trust factors among tenants, and worries about being evicted, have prevented people from complaining about conditions, too. Fayann Simpson also said that the benefi ts brought to tenants over time had


to be fully consulted on, to off set the fact that “having major works done in your home, is a big thing.” Characteristics and benefi ts beyond the standard non-slip factors around fl ooring needed to be brought up and emphasised more strongly. Steven Mcauliff e, Regional Sales Manager at Beaufl or said that the company


had faced frustration in the sector, because we know we have the product, and we know we can save the industry money, but “there’s so much red tape and history and everything in the middle,” He added: “It’s how you get that point across; there are preferred suppliers, and it’s not because they are the best; it’s because it’s a box tick, and we can move on.” Matt Baird countered, giving the example of IT systems, said that social


LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM L&Q’s Fayann Simpson (left) said that the sector had to move over to a long-term mindset in terms of cost of fl ooring


housing teams were unlikely to make a leap for higher standards if there was perceived risk. “T ere are guys almost guaranteeing you an eight out of 10, but the risk appetite is really really low because we’re so scared of getting it wrong at the moment and of change.”


Housing Management & Maintenance Autumn 2026


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