66 prefab flats in Hereford to be refurbished

A major revamp of 66 prominent rented “prefab” flats beside the river Wye in Hereford is planned.

The flats, in six three-storey blocks which make up River View, Putson, are owned and let by the Connexus housing association, which took over Herefordshire Council’s housing stock in 2001.

It aims to improve the energy efficiency of the buildings by installing external wall insulation and windows, replacing the roofing, raising the rooflines, removing the chimneys, boosting loft insulation and installing new communal doors and entrance systems.

The group’s head of asset management Tony Jones said: “The work at River View should reduce energy consumption for our customers and improve the carbon footprint of the scheme.

“It will also enhance the look and kerbside appeal of the properties.”

The work should start next year, once plans are approved and business planning and budgets agreed, he added.

The blocks are of the “Cornish unit” style, named after the company which built them from pre-cast reinforced concrete sections.

With distinctive hipped mansard (steeply sloping) tiled roofs around the top floor, they were part of a national programme to boost housing supply after the war.

In early 2020, Connexus tendered for architectural plans to demolish the blocks and replace them with either affordable or market-rate homes, but did not pursue the plan.