Resilient Roch: Coordinating property-level surveys for integrated climate resilience

Summary

The Resilient Roch project, funded through the Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme (FCIP), has tackled a range of local climate challenges, most notably flood risk, affecting residents in disadvantaged communities.

The core innovation is a coordinated property survey approach, which combines three separate assessments – property condition, energy efficiency, and flood risk – into a single, streamlined visit. This holistic method aims to deliver integrated interventions, improve efficiency for residents and service providers, and create a replicable model for other local authorities facing similar complex challenges.

Background

The Resilient Roch project is tackling multiple housing-related challenges—energy efficiency, building condition, and flood risk—through the development of co-ordinated property surveys. This element of the project focuses on enhancing the climate resilience of homes in Rochdale, particularly in the flood-prone areas of Littleborough and Wardleworth.

Rochdale’s housing stock includes a significant number of Victorian and Edwardian terraced properties, many of which are in poor condition. These homes often suffer from low energy efficiency and are especially vulnerable to flooding, compounding the risks faced by residents.

The inspiration behind Resilient Roch was the recognition that these interconnected issues required a holistic and integrated approach. By combining flood resilience measures with energy efficiency improvements, the project aims to create sustainable, future-proof homes that are better equipped to withstand the impacts of climate change. The interventions introduced are designed not only to address immediate risks but also to deliver long-term benefits for residents’ well-being, financial stability, and the wider environment.

The project team prioritised community involvement throughout, recognising that meaningful engagement not only facilitated survey completion but also helped foster a sense of ownership and long-term commitment to resilience improvements. In terms of practical delivery, the project achieved community engagement using multiple channels. 

Key Messages

• Holistic problems require holistic solutions: The project’s success stems from its recognition that climate vulnerability is not just an environmental issue but is deeply intertwined with social and economic factors like poor housing, fuel poverty, and health.
• Coordination is a practical tool for efficiency: The key innovation—combining three surveys into one visit—is a practical solution that reduces disruption for vulnerable residents, improves coordination between agencies, and allows for the design of more integrated, effective interventions.
• Community trust is a critical enabler: The project’s ability to gain access to private homes depended entirely on building trust. This was achieved through deep community engagement, leveraging the long-standing relationships of trusted partners like the National Flood Forum and local Flood Action Groups.
• Siloed funding is a major barrier: A critical lesson from the project is that while it is possible to assess resilience in an integrated way, it is extremely difficult to deliver integrated solutions when government funding streams for flood resilience and energy efficiency are separate and uncoordinated.

The project’s central innovation was its streamlined survey process. By combining a Building Condition Survey, an Energy Efficiency Report, and a Property Flood Resilience (PFR) survey into a single coordinated site visit, the project reduced hassle for residents and enabled a more holistic approach to improving household resilience.

Methodology

PROCUREMENT

The project required careful coordination by Rochdale Borough Council (RBC), drawing on extensive experience from previous housing, environmental, and flood risk management programmes. RBC officers ensured a rigorous procurement process, using established frameworks to appoint a consultancy for flood modelling, engineering, and Property Flood Resilience (PFR) survey work. 

Additionally, RBC enrolled in the Environment Agency’s Client Support Framework to access approved suppliers and PFR installers. This approach ensured compliance with Environment Agency standards for product specifications and expertise, while streamlining access to market and specialist contractors.

engagement

A critical enabler of the project’s success was active resident engagement. The effectiveness of the surveys depended on residents and landlords granting access to their homes. Building trust and maintaining clear, consistent communication were essential. 

Delivering multiple surveys presented coordination and communication challenges, especially in areas like Wardleworth, where many residents are non-English speaking. To ensure broad participation, Rochdale Borough Council (RBC) used a range of engagement methods, including direct mailings, follow-up letters, personalised phone calls, and in-person visits. Additional support came from local flood action groups and the National Flood Forum, active in the area since 2013.

Three priority challenges addressed by the project

The project’s integrated design was a direct response to the complex, real-world challenges faced by both residents and the council.

1. The challenge of resident survey fatigue and disruption

A traditional, siloed approach would require multiple agencies to arrange separate home visits for different surveys, creating significant disruption and frustration for residents. This often leads to “survey fatigue” and low participation, especially in disadvantaged communities where trust in authorities may be low.

• The problem: Asking vulnerable residents to take time off for three different appointments with three different teams is inefficient and a major barrier to participation.
• The solution: The project pioneered a streamlined, single-visit survey model. Rochdale Borough Council acted as a single point of contact for residents, coordinating all bookings. Residents reported appreciating this combined approach for its convenience and reduced disruption, leading to higher engagement and better data collection.

2. The challenge of interconnected iulnerabilities

The project targeted communities where residents are caught in a vicious cycle: old, poorly maintained housing leads to high energy bills (fuel poverty), which can worsen health outcomes, all while facing the constant threat of flooding. Addressing only one of these issues in isolation is ineffective.

• The problem: A standard flood project might install a flood gate but ignore the damp, uninsulated walls behind it. An energy project might install insulation that is not water-resistant, making it useless after the next flood. These single-issue interventions fail to address the holistic nature of household vulnerability.
• The solution: By assessing flood risk, building condition, and energy efficiency simultaneously, the project could identify integrated interventions. For example, the combined survey allowed for the specification of flood-resilient insulation materials, tackling both energy efficiency and flood resilience at the same time and breaking the cycle of vulnerability.

3. The challenge of fragmented funding

Even with a perfect plan for integrated solutions, projects often collide with a systemic barrier: government funding is typically allocated in silos, with separate grants for flooding, energy efficiency, and housing improvement.

• The problem: The project’s vision was to deliver a holistic package of upgrades, but “current funding structures limited the ability to deliver a fully integrated package of improvements”. For example, while many homes were surveyed, eligibility for energy efficiency grants was low, preventing the implementation of recommended measures even when they made sense alongside flood resilience upgrades.
• The solution (within the project’s limits): While the project could not change national policy, it successfully created a “robust evidence base for future interventions”. By demonstrating the clear need and potential for integrated measures, Rochdale Borough Council is now better positioned to lobby for and leverage future, more flexible grant funding to deliver the full vision of the project.

Lessons Learned

• Integrated assessment requires meticulous coordination: While beneficial, coordinating multiple contractors and surveys required significant effort from council officers. Centralised project branding, clear communication, and a single booking system were essential to manage this complexity.
• Housing condition is a foundational issue: The surveys often uncovered severe safety risks, like structural defects and carbon monoxide leaks. This highlighted that basic housing safety must be addressed alongside climate resilience, and council intervention is often needed to ensure landlords comply with regulations.
• Leverage trusted community partners: Engagement was most successful when channeled through long-standing, trusted community groups. The Wardleworth and Littleborough Flood Action Groups and the National Flood Forum played a pivotal role in building trust and encouraging participation where official council communications might have failed.

Suggested Citation

Resilient Roch (2025) Resilient Roch: Coordinating property-level surveys for integrated climate resilience. Available at: https://www.local.gov.uk/case-studies/resilient-roch-coordinating-property-level-surveys-integrated-climate-resilience (Accessed: 4 September 2025).

Contact details

Resillient Roch
resilientroch@rochdale.gov.uk 

Further information on the combined surveys approach on the National Flood Forum website.

Further information on Resilient Roch on the Engage Environment agency website.