Sustainability award for Whites Close roofing project

Mid Cornwall Roofing wins sustainability award for Cornwall Housing roofing project in St Agnes

Mid Cornwall Roofing took home the 'Sustainable Project of the Year' award at the 2023 Pitched Roofing Awards, which highlight the industry’s most outstanding projects. The award was given in recognition of a roofing project carried out at Whites Close, a Cornwall Housing sheltered accommodation scheme in St Agnes. 

The previous concrete roof at Whites Close had a unique octagonal shape – featuring eight sides, five dormers and spanning around 500sqm. The old roof fell beyond economical repair due to water damage. Its unusual angles and high volume of hips and valleys meant water would run into the hip rather than away from it. 

As part of our £79M home investment programme to improve our housing stock across Cornwall, our Capital Delivery team contracted Mid Cornwall Roofing to replace the old roof. Mid Cornwall Roofing are a local family business and one of the longest running roofing companies in Cornwall. 

This same roofing project was also shortlisted as a finalist into the 2024 National Federation of Roofing Contractors awards.

A full make over for Whites Close 

Mid Cornwall Roofing made various improvements at Whites Close, including:

• Replacement of:
  • existing concrete roof coverings with Redland Cambrian slate
  • rainwater goods and rooflines
  • glazed lantern
  • existing solar tiles with inline system
  • balcony flooring
• Upgrades to loft space thermals
• A new lightning protection system
• External paint and repair

What makes the roof sustainable?

• Redland Cambrian Slate was used on the new roof. Cambrian Slate is engineered using responsibly rescued Welsh slate waste - a by-product left behind from slate quarrying. This makes it an environmentally friendly option, especially in environments where slate is the preferred material – as is the case in many areas of Cornwall.
• The Slate is manufactured in Wales – only 200 miles away from Whites Close. This minimised the carbon footprint during the construction.
• The new Cambrian Slate roof system used specifically engineered components, such as a Cambrian Mitred Hip, to provide a reliable roof for decades to come.
• The addition of solar panels also supports the long-term sustainability of the project.

Wayne Goddard, Capital Investment Surveyor at Cornwall Housing, said: “Mid Cornwall Roofing did a fantastic job of turning the boring roof into a real feature piece of the complex.”

 Photo credit: BMI Group