Dear Ms Smudgevinder

Thank you for your freedom of information request dated the 4th January
2010. Please find below the information you require:

Could you tell me the SAP(Standard Assessment Procedure)rating for the
maisonettes on the Hanover estate and which independent assessor produced
the results.

SAP is the Governments procedure used for calculating the energy
performance of buildings. It is calculated based on various building
components and is reported on a scale of 1 to 100, a higher score
indicating better performance of the building. Sheffield Homes manage a
property database that automatically calculates the SAP rating for
properties. Currently the average rating for the maisonettes on Hanover
is 77.

Is the Green Doctor energy assessment scheme connected in any way to
yourselves or the Council?

The Green Doctor service is a scheme run by a charity called
Groundwork's. They offer home energy surveys which identify ways in which
a home is losing heat and ways in which the householder can become more
energy efficient. Sheffield Homes is currently working in collaboration
with Groundwork's on a pilot scheme to offer households an energy survey
and receive free advice. This is not currently within the Hanover area of
the city.

How many properties on the Hanover estate have been issued with an energy
performance certificate, the EPC?

121 properties on the Hanover estate have had an EPC completed to date.

How many maisonettes are currently assessed as meeting the decent homes
standard,and on what basis was this assessment made?

56 of the 57 maisonettes on the Hanover estate are currently assessed as
passing the Decent Homes Standard.

A home is classed as being decent if it meets the following 4 criteria; A)
It meets the current statutory minimum standard for housing as defined by
the Housing Health & Safety Rating System, B) It is in a reasonable state
of repair, C) It has reasonably modern facilities & services, D) It
provides a reasonable degree of thermal comfort. You can find further
information and a more detailed description of the Decent Homes Standard
in the Department for Communities & Local Government document, 'A Decent
Home: Definition and guidance for implementation', this can be found on
there website at the following web address;
[1]http://www.communities.gov.uk/publicatio....

What size representative sample have you used for these assessments?

56 of the 57 maisonettes (98.3%)

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint, you should write to: Sheffield
Homes, PO Box 1918, Sheffield, S1 2XX or email
[Sheffield Homes Limited request email]. You can also visit one of our public
offices or call us on 0114 293 0000 (North) or 0114 205 3333 (South).
Please refer to our Complaints, Praise and Suggestions leaflet available
to download from our website at
[2]http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/myCommu...
or by post by contacting us. If you are not content with the outcome your
complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. Generally, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you
have exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

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Dear Ava Smudgevinder,

Please find below the answers to your questions relating to your FOI
enquiry.

1) Please send me the original building plans which show how the buildings
specifically on the Hanover estate constructed. The plans you kindly sent
only show the internal layout of the Landsdowne flats not the Hanover
flats. I require the original building structure plans specifically.

Sheffield Homes does not hold this information

2) Where are the costs for phase 1-6 on the Hanover estate. Please could
you tell me why they could not be provided.

Sheffield Homes does not hold this information

3) I asked the specific question about tenants signing off work. Your
answer infers to me that the people doing the work, and Sheffield Homes
sign off the work. Is that correct? I asked about the tenants signing
their work. What percentage of tenants have to sign this work for it to be
considered signed off?

Sheffield Homes signs off a minimum 20% of all Decent Homes completions.
However, our contractors with tenants agree the handover of 100% of
properties. As part of this process the contractors ask tenants to sign
off the final handover certificate.

4) I asked how much money have Sheffield Homes and Sheffield Homes Ltd got
left until the end of the financial year? The information about the decent
homes money was very informative thank you, but it was not what I asked.
Sorry if I was not as clear as I could have been. How much has the
organisation got.

Each year Sheffield Homes is required to submit annual audited accounts
that are available for public inspection at Companies House.

The 2009/10 financial accounts can be inspected at Companies House. A
copy of these accounts can be found on our website
([1]www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk) but for convenience we have attached a
copy.

<<SHEFFIELD HOMES LTD - FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS 2009-10.pdf>>
The 2010/11 accounts will be audited in the summer, approved by the
Directors and then sent to Companies House in the Autumn. These will
therefore be available for inspection then.

For 2010/11 Sheffield Homes has sufficient money to meet its own
commitments/ liabilities but as outlined in the previous FOIA request; the
Decent Homes work is a Council project that we manage on their behalf.

5) please could you clarify a little more clearly for me how many screws
should be in an average sized window on the Hanover estate, and the
Lansdowne estate as the windows are far larger in the lounge at
Landsdowne.

Further to our previous response to this question there are seven
different window sizes on the Hanover and Lansdowne estate. The sizes are
listed below. The left hand dimension below is the width of the window and
the right hand dimension is the height of the window

Window 1 - 3400mm x 1270mm
Window 2 - 2600mm x 1270mm
Window 3 - 2010mm x 1270mm
Window 4 - 2000mm x 1270mm
Window 5 - 1330mm x 1270mm
Window 6 - 1200mm x 250mm
Window 7 - 450mm x 250mm

For a window with a height of 1270mm we would expect there to be three
screw fixings to each side of the window minimum. Due to the construction
of the building we would expect that the head (top) of the frame would be
fixed with foam to create a fixing as a screw fixing may be difficult. At
the cill then we would expect the window to be level and this would
require the use of timber packers which are fixed to the existing timber
frame with screws or foam. The upvcu window is then fixed to the timber
packers with screws or foam. We would expect there to be a packer / fixing
at each end of the window and then every 600mm. It is difficult to say
exactly how many screw fixings you will be able to see at cill level as
foam is also used which is an accepted standard. The important requirement
being that the window is level and resting on a secure platform of timber
and packers which are then secured to the frame with screws or foam. The
combination of foam at the head, screws to each side, foam or screws or a
combination of both at the cill providing the fixings necessary to secure
the windows.

If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint, you should write to: Sheffield
Homes, PO Box 1918, Sheffield, S1 2XX or email
[Sheffield Homes Limited request email]. You can also visit one of our public
offices or call us on 0114 293 0000 (North) or 0114 205 3333 (South).
Please refer to our Complaints, Praise and Suggestions leaflet available
to download from our website at
[2]http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/myCommu...
or by post by contacting us. If you are not content with the outcome your
complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. Generally, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you
have exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF.

Regards,

Sheffield Homes

Sheffield Homes
PO BOX 1918
Sheffield S1 2XX
[3]www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk

Our purpose is to provide excellent homes and housing services to all our
communities.

Nassim Koriba
Communications Officer

Sheffield Homes
Communications Team
PO BOX 1918
Sheffield S1 2XX
Tel: 0114 273 5734
Fax 0114 273 5544
[4]www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk

Our purpose is to provide excellent homes and housing services to all our
communities.

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References

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Dear Ms Smudgevinder

Please find below the information you requested
I asked who was the independent assessor who produced the SAP results?
The SAP calculation is produced via an interaction between the data held
in Sheffield Homes Asset Management data base and approved NHER (National
Home Energy Rating) software. The Sheffield Homes team of surveyors who
are responsible for carrying out Energy Performance Certificates & Stock
Condition surveys which feed the SAP calculation are qualified Domestic
Energy Assessors and are regularly audited by the NHER scheme.

Could you please give me the information which was used to calculate these
properties as being a 77 rating?
As previously stated the calculation is carried out using approved NHER
software. The software is approved on behalf of the Government by the
Building Research Establishment. The calculation is based on specific
information that relates to each individual property. For further
information on the guidance for completing this assessment please refer to
'The Government's Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of
Dwellings' you can find this by clicking on the following link;
[1]http://www.bre.co.uk/sap2009/page.jsp?id...

Are the 121 properties with the EPC(Energy Performance Certificate) the
tower block, maisonettes or both?
The 121 properties with an EPC issued are across all property types on the
estate i.e. maisonettes, flats and in the tower block.

Are there 57 maisonettes on the Hanover estate?
There are 57 maisonettes still completely in Council ownership. This does
not include any leasehold properties.
If you are unhappy with the service you have received in relation to your
request and wish to make a complaint, you should write to: Sheffield
Homes, PO Box 1918, Sheffield, S1 2XX or email
[Sheffield Homes Limited request email]. You can also visit one of our public
offices or call us on 0114 293 0000 (North) or 0114 205 3333 (South).
Please refer to our Complaints, Praise and Suggestions leaflet available
to download from our website at
[2]http://www.sheffieldhomes.org.uk/myCommu...
or by post by contacting us. If you are not content with the outcome your
complaint, you may apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. Generally, the Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you
have exhausted our complaints procedure. The Information Commissioner can
be contacted at: The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House,
Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF

Regards

Sheffield Homes

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