A whole house renovation touches every trade at once, so the order of work matters more than any single element. We run the programme, coordinate the structural engineer where structure is involved, and arrange the building control applications and inspections. This page covers what a Royston renovation runs into, from the age of the building to where the rainwater goes.
Royston had 6,800 dwellings at the 2011 census and a larger population by 2021
At the 2011 census Royston had a population of 15,781 and 6,800 dwellings. The three Royston wards had a combined population of 17,443 at the 2021 census, made up of Royston Heath at 5,620, Royston Meridian at 5,690 and Royston Palace at 6,133.
A renovation programme depends on which period your house belongs to. Wiring, plumbing, insulation, damp treatment and structure all behave differently in a 19th century building and in a late 20th century one. We survey first and price from what is there, rather than from an assumption about the address.
Royston's oldest streets are the two ancient roads that cross in the town
Ermine Street followed the line of the High Street and Kneesworth Street through Royston, and the Icknield Way followed Melbourn Street and Baldock Street. Up to the end of the first quarter of the 19th century the town had very few houses distant from the centre. The Hitchin, Royston and Cambridge branch of the Great Northern Railway opened in 1850.
The council's conservation area assessment records a relatively equal mix of brick and rendered buildings in the town. Render hides whatever is behind it. Before a renovation is priced we open up at the points that matter, because a rendered elevation and a solid brick one need different answers on damp, insulation and any new opening.
Royston has no river and no springs, and its water has always come from the chalk
The council's townscape analysis records no river and no springs within Royston, which is why the town drew its water from private wells and large ponds before a piped supply existed. Royston Water Company was established in 1859 and obtained water by drilling through the chalk at two sites, one near London Road behind the Mount and the other in Queens Road, formerly Water Street.
That history is still live in planning terms. The Local Plan records groundwater Source Protection Zones 1 to 3 in the areas around Royston, and notes that the use of groundwater for local drinking water makes the area vulnerable to pollution. On a renovation it shapes how site waste, fuel storage and any soakaway are handled.
The flood risk to design for in Royston is surface water, not the river
The Local Plan states that river flooding is not a large issue in the district because of the size and flow of the watercourses. It states that surface water and groundwater flooding, linked to the historic settlement pattern and topography, is of greater significance.
The council applied that to Royston directly. Three of the four allocated housing sites each carry a requirement to address surface water flood risk through sustainable drainage or another appropriate solution. They are RY4 north of Lindsay Close, RY7 at Anglian Business Park on Orchard Road and RY10 south of Newmarket Road. Where a renovation adds hard surface or changes a rainwater route, that is the question to answer.
- Roof repairs, gutters, fascias and rainwater goods
- Damp treatment, tanking and timber repairs
- Kitchen and bathroom design, supply and installation
- Waste clearance, dust protection and daily site tidying
- First and second fix sequenced around a realistic decorating date
The GS Renovation Difference in Royston
Royston is about 25 miles from our base in Potters Bar, and it is work we travel for, so a site visit is arranged for a date rather than squeezed between two local jobs. A full house renovation is a programme, not a visit, and it needs one person holding it together. That is what you get: one point of contact for the trades, the structural engineer we appoint, and the building control applications and inspections. GS Renovation Ltd is fully insured, registered in England, company number 14611254, and rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder. Quotations are free and without obligation.
- Rated 4.9 from 31 reviews on MyBuilder
- Honest updates if a date or a detail has to move
- A snagging list agreed and worked through before handover
- Neighbours given notice before the noisy stages
- Original features protected, repaired or reinstated as you want
- Founder-led team with 30+ years of hands-on experience