So far this year, Great Places has completed more than 30,000 repairs. Many of them are straightforward jobs, but occasionally we come across more complex repairs that require a proactive approach, strong problem-solving skills and great teamwork from our Repairs Team.
Recently, we tackled one of these more challenging jobs, a tricky repair on a high-rise building in Didsbury, dating back to the 1960s and one of the first of its kind in the country.
Our journey began with a drone survey, which revealed damaged concrete. We quickly addressed this using a mobile platform. However, the west side of the building presented a bigger challenge. The ground there is steep, close to a train line with overhead wires, and surrounded by trees, making access extremely difficult. Traditional repair methods simply wouldn’t work.
The only viable option was for our team to climb down from the roof. During one of the visits, James Beaman, our Building Surveyor and Project Manager, along with a technical manager from Rappel—an specialist contractor—inspected the roof to plan a safe rope access setup. The roof’s fragile structure posed the first major challenge, as it couldn’t support any weight without risking collapse.
After careful planning, the team chose a safety system that goes over the top of the roof and uses counterweights to arrest a fall if needed. This smart solution kept our workers safe while allowing the repairs to go ahead.
We’re pleased to report that the rope access work at Willow Court was completed professionally by the Rappel team.
On this complicated but successful repair work, James Beaman shares his thoughts:
“Drawing on my background as a former climbing instructor, I was able to collaborate closely with the contractor to identify a safe and effective rigging solution tailored to the building’s unique structure. This is just one example of the lengths our company will go to – combining technical expertise and innovative access methods – to ensure our customers’ homes remain safe, secure, and comfortable.”
