What exactly is Radon and what should housing stock owners be doing to identify, monitor, and mitigate radon risks as part of their retrofit planning and delivery?
To explore this, Claire Brown is joined by Yvonne Power, Managing Director at Radon Solutions Ireland. Their discussion covers areas such as the best stage for testing radon levels, how common retrofit measures such as increasing airtightness and insulation impact radon levels in homes, and what should be done to reduce those risks.
For further information visit:
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
Overheating and its impact on vulnerable communities in the UK is a growing concern. In today’s podcast, Jonathan Newton is joined by Andy Love from Shade The UK. They explore the effective strategies that can help mitigate overheating including accessible shaded and green spaces, ideas for policy changes and methods to help keep buildings cool. Andy also outlines the key areas that housing stock owners should consider when incorporating successful overheating prevention into their retrofit projects.
For further information visit: https://www.shadetheuk.com/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
What are the biggest challenges women face in building long-term careers in retrofit, and how can the community help overcome them? To explore this, Claire Brown is joined by Ellora Coupe, Founder/ Director of Her Retrofit Space. Their discussion covers the areas where women face difficulties and need more support, common misconceptions about women’s roles in retrofit, different perspectives that can be brought by women and the positive outcomes helping women connect, grow, and lead in the retrofit industry.
For more information visit: https://www.herretrofitspace.com/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s podcast we look at how a data-driven approach can enhance the effectiveness of retrofit initiatives and drive smarter decision-making in housing decarbonisation.
To explore this subject, Jonathan Newton is joined by Balazs Csuvar, Director of Innovation and Net Zero and Edward Houghton, Director of Research and Insights, DG Cities. Together they unpack how data capture can be utilised in a meaningful way in order to support innovation, learning and planning for communities and organisations tackling net zero.
For further information visit: https://www.dgcities.com/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s episode, Claire Brown discusses the benefits of using AI-powered solutions for heat pump installs with Caroline Bowen and Chris Arnold from Dabalox. Together they look at how AI enhances the efficiency and affordability of heat pump installations, and how housing stock owners can incorporate AI-driven solutions into various points of their retrofit strategy.
For further information visit: https://www.dabalox.com/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
How can contractors and housing providers avoid PAS 2030 suspension and maintain compliance for their projects? To explore this important issue, Jonathan Newton is joined by Chris Ferguson Paul Dawson from LHC Procure. Their discussion covers best practices for ensuring retrofit success, and integrating lessons from past suspensions to improve installation quality, monitoring and maintenance.
For more information visit: www.lhcprocure.org.uk/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s episode, Jonathan Newton discusses The Community Retrofit Hub project with Colin Timmins and Filipe Amarante from National Energy Action (NEA). Colin and Filipe explain why The Community Retrofit Hub’s approach is to place householders central throughout the retrofit process and outline how to achieve this. The discussion covers the importance of providing end-to-end support through building trust and partnerships, involving householders in the decision making process, guidance in liaising with installers and providing aftercare in areas such as technology use and maintenance requirements.
For further information visit: https://www.nea.org.uk/who-we-are/retrofit-technical-research/the-community-retrofit-hub-project/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s episode, host Jonathan Newton is joined by Dr Martin Fletcher, Senior Research Fellow at Leeds Sustainability Institute. Martin gives an overview of the Deterioration of Retrofit Insulation Performance (DRIP) report, outlines the biggest lessons learned, and explains how they can shape future retrofit initiatives.
The episode also looks at the main factors that contribute to the deterioration of retrofit insulation and how they can be mitigated, best practices for maintaining and monitoring retrofit improvements over time and how housing providers can successfully implement long-term sustainability measures in their retrofit initiatives.
For further information visit: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/leeds-sustainability-institute/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
How can housing stock owners incorporate lessons learned from retrofit projects to improve future initiatives? To help answer this, Steph Dylak, Programme Manager at GMCA, joins host Jonathan Newton to talk about her experiences of the HUG programme. The conversation covers the initial key objectives of the HUG programme, the evolution of these objectives during the process, challenges faced along the way and how these challenges were overcome.
For further information visit: https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In this episode Sarah McClelland talks to Dan Bowers, Head of Psychology at the University of South Wales, about the significance of technology acceptance in the retrofit industry. Together they discuss why housing stock providers should prioritise technology acceptance and how leveraging insights into this can enhance their retrofit projects.
For further information visit:
To listen to our previous episode go to:
Indoor air quality and retrofit with the University of York
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In this podcast, our host Jonathan Newton is joined by Bryan Charter, CEO at SuSy house, and Katherine Piper, Customer Operations Manager at Bristol City Leap.
Together they explore how a technology-driven app can be used as an engagement tool to complement large-scale sustainability initiatives, accelerating retrofit adoption and carbon neutrality.
For further information visit:
https://www.bristolcityleap.co.uk/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
Claire Brown is joined by Charles Smith who is the Policy Director of Policy development at Historic England. Charles outlines what exactly is classed as a historic building, and gives an overview of Historic England Advice Notes (HEANs) and the various areas they cover. The discussion also explores how HEANs can be used and applied in order to benefit those looking to undertake a retrofit project.
For further information visit: https://historicengland.org.uk/
If you have any feedback contact: governmentadvice@HistoricEngland.org.uk
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
Contract termination is an important topic but not one that’s often discussed. Joseph Wittenberg, Senior Consultant at Turner & Townsend, joins Jonathan Newton to explain exactly what contract termination means in the context of retrofit projects.
Joseph advises what grant recipients need to be aware of when considering contract termination, the steps they can take throughout their project to avoid this last resort, and how using previous experiences can help inform the planning and setting up of new contracts.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s episode Kit Knowles, Director at Ecospheric, talks to host Sarah McClelland about his background and experiences in the retrofit sector. Kit breaks down what he terms the ‘triangle of constraint’ when it comes to retrofit, and what important tools and approaches can be used to overcome these constraints by those planning their own retrofit projects.
For more information visit https://www.ecospheric.co.uk/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
Sarah Fox is the author of Small Works Contracts in Just 500 Words. In this episode, Sarah talks to host Claire Brown about the importance of effective contract management. Sarah outlines her insights into what can be done by organisations to make contracts work better for everyone involved in their retrofit project and why an outcome focused approach is essential.
For more information vist: https://500words.co.uk/
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In today’s episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Kevin Gawtrey RICS, Senior Building Surveyor, Aldrock and Filipe Amarante, Community Retrofit Project Manager, NEA.
Kevin and Filipe provide a full overview of the Fishwick retrofit project, detailing the challenges faced along the way and explaining how these challenges were overcome. They also both share their standout lessons from their wealth of experience on the project.
For further information visit:
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In this episode, Jonathan Newton is joined by Greta Jonsson, Architect & Retrofit Designer, Design Specifics and Amanda Reynolds, Manager, Retrofit Coordinator, Compliance Specifics, to discuss the latest information on PAS 2035. Jonathan asks Greta and Amanda what the main changes are and how these will be delivered, and for a client, how best they can ensure that they are compliant for their project. The discussion also covers lessons learnt from PAS 2035, key elements and the upcoming changes.
For more information visit:
https://designspecifics.co.uk/
https://www.compliancespecifics.co.uk/
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In this episode Claire Brown is joined by Ben Hebbert, Senior Sustainability Consultant at Turner & Townsend/RISE to discuss mid-mobilisation review (MMR). Ben explains exactly what MMR is, what to expect from the process at each stage and what the benefits are for Warm Homes: Local Grant recipients.
For more information visit: https://riseretrofit.org.uk/articles/warm-homes-need-to-knows-midmobilisation-review
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
Jonathan Newton is joined by Martin Hurn, Event Director, Futurebuild, and Megan Creswell, Senior Sustainability Consultant, Turner & Townsend/RISE, to talk through all their highlights and main insights from Futurebuild 25, including the many RISE events held this year. Their discussion covers the past 5 years of the retrofit stage at Futurebuild and how it has developed during this time, The Big Retrofit Challenge and what makes the event unique. Martin also give some insights into what to look forward to at next year’s event.
For more information visit:
https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/
https://www.futurebuild.co.uk/exhibit/the-big-retrofit-challenge/
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
In this episode, host Claire Brown is joined by Andy Gouldson, Commercial Partnerships Manager, Building Centre, to talk through the key themes of ‘Retrofit 25 - What's Stopping Us?’ exhibition - an event series from The Building Centre and National Retrofit Hub.
The programme runs from 27th March to 19th September 2025.
For further information visit:
Building Centre
Instagram.com/thebuildingcentre/
Linkedin.com/company/buildingcentre/
National Retrofit Hub
Instagram.com/nationalretrofithub/
Linkedin.com/company/national-retrofit-hub/
You can also use the following hashtags for further information or to join in the discussion:
#R25whatsstoppingus
#Retrofit25
#Retrofit25partner
#retrofit25sponsor
This podcast aims to share insights, good practices, and lessons learned from relevant retrofit/warm homes projects. It is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute recommendations or endorsements of specific suppliers, products, or services within the sector.
This podcast is an informal discussion between interested parties associated with Retrofit Information, Support and Expertise. Any views expressed are those of the individuals concerned and do not seek to represent the government.
There are a number of webinars, masterclasses and followup events available for free right now through RISE. Please visit our website to find the right event for you.
