We consulted residents across our High Risk Buildings (HRBs) in Slough to understand how they want to receive building‑safety information and how they want to be involved in decisions about their homes. This consultation forms part of Abri’s responsibilities under the Building Safety Act 2022 and ensures our Resident Engagement Plans reflect the real experiences and priorities of residents.
What is a HRB?
A high-risk building (or "higher-risk building" - HRB) in England is generally defined under the Building Safety Act 2022 as a building at least 18 metres in height or having at least 7 storeys, which contains at least two residential units.
Who Took Part
Consultations covered four High Risk Buildings in Windsor, representing:
- 48 households in one building
- 46 households in another
- 45 households in another
- 23 households in the fourth
In total, 25 residents took part:
- 5 responses from one building
- 10 responses from another
- 8 responses from another
- 2 responses from the fourth
Response rates ranged from 9% to 22%, with most residents receiving surveys via email and a smaller number receiving printed copies.
What Residents Told Us
Across Windsor HRBs, residents want simple, accurate and building specific information about:
- How the building is constructed
- Abri’s building safety responsibilities
- Residents’ own safety responsibilities
- Servicing cycles such as lifts, sprinklers and water systems
- Short, easy to read Fire Risk Assessment summaries
- Updates on safety works taking place
- Who contractors are and what they are doing
Additional requests included:
- Clarification about evacuation plans
- Information on asbestos handling
- Understanding why fire marshals are on site
- Better detail about security, CCTV and communal area issues
Across all buildings, residents made it clear that they want transparent, timely and trustworthy safety information.
Residents across Windsor told us they would like to receive information through:
- Letters or newsletters posted to their homes
- MyAbri
- Posters and noticeboards in communal areas
- The Abri website
- In person sessions or drop ins
- Online meetings, with some residents wanting recordings to watch back
Some residents additionally requested:
- Email updates
- 1 to 1 discussions with the Building Safety Manager
- More accurate, consistent messaging to avoid confusion
A blended approach — with digital tools supported by clear, physical notices — is strongly preferred.
The most common preference across all four buildings was to receive updates:
- Whenever something changes within the building, and/or
- When something directly affects them
Some residents preferred yearly updates, but they were in the minority.
Requests for accessibility support included:
- Easy read formats
- Large print
- Occasional requests for 1 to 1 communication
- Recordings of updates
Across every Windsor HRB, residents said they want Abri to:
- Consult them when there are options around works
- Capture their feedback on contractor performance
- Take the majority view where appropriate
- Take visible action based on residents’ experiences
Residents also provided specific comments, including:
- Requests for staff attendance at local meetings
- Feedback about noise and disruption caused by ongoing works
- Desire for clearer, more complete messages that don’t change
Residents prefer building specific panels over cross building panels
Across the four buildings:
- Interest in a cross building HRB panel was low overall
- Interest in building specific panels was consistently higher, though still mixed
Some residents indicated willingness to take part, while others questioned whether panels lead to tangible outcomes.
Residents prefer involvement that directly relates to their own building, rather than combined groups.
What Happens Next
Feedback from residents across Windsor will directly shape how Abri communicates, consults and supports residents in these HRBs. This insight have informed our tailored Resident Engagement Plans for each building, ensuring residents voices have been heard and help to shape the strategy for their own building.
This consultation is a crucial part of meeting our duties under the Building Safety Act 2022 and ensuring residents have confidence in the safety and management of their homes.