Wellington Close External Tower Refurbishment | Lead Consultants Keegans

Project Overview

Built in 1964, Wellington Close in Walton-on-Thames comprises 132 two-bedroom apartments spread across three tower blocks with adjoining two-story spur blocks, all set in spacious grounds. For years, consecutive client boards, representing leaseholders' interests, sought a refurbishment project that would modernise the buildings' exterior while meeting current Building Regulations for thermal efficiency.

 

 

Keegans’ Role as Lead Consultant

Keegans was appointed as Lead Consultants, providing a range of multi-disciplinary services, including:

 

• Design and Specification Writing: Creating a detailed project blueprint that met all regulatory requirements.
• Tender Process Management: Overseeing the entire tender process to ensure a fair and transparent selection of contractors.
• Onsite Clerk of Works and Contract Administration: Ensuring the project was executed to the highest standards.

 

Financial and Legal Considerations

The Wellington Close re-cladding scheme is groundbreaking, particularly from a financial perspective, as Keegans is unaware of any similarly sized projects for private, long-leasehold apartments. Under Landlord & Tenant Legislation, a robust consultation process was required with all 132 leaseholders. This was successfully completed, with one key issue being whether the work was classified as a repair or an improvement.

 

This challenge was resolved by seeking a pre-determination from the First-Tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), which confirmed that the consultation process was correctly administered, the works were permissible under the leases, and the improvements were necessary.