Pictured above: whg's Jones House, Birchills 

A £1.5million investment has transformed a block of whg flats which has been a fixture on the Walsall skyline for nearly half a century.

Landmark Jones House, in Birchills, is in the midst of the most significant internal and external makeover in its 44-year history.

whg, which owns 19,000 homes across the borough, is working with British Gas and one of its construction partners to drastically improve the block's energy efficiency and its appearance.

The first phase of work has now been completed and included fitting double glazed windows and replacing the roof to increase insulation. Each balcony floor has been re-laid with black asphalt while hand rails and new panels have been fitted to create a more pleasant outside space for residents.

The second phase is a collaboration between whg and British Gas and will see the introduction of central heating in the block. The work is part of the national community energy saving programme (CESP), which whg was the first in the country to pilot.

The wall of scaffolding which surrounded the flats during the life of the external work has been removed to unveil a newly rendered exterior in eye-catching green and white. The energy supplier has dramatically transformed the look of the traditional block and crucially added an extra layer of insulation to prevent heat loss.

The next step is to replace old-style storage heaters with radiators which can be individually controlled using a thermostat within each room. This system means each resident can set the temperature in their own home and is cheaper to run, reducing individual energy bills and the overall carbon footprint of Jones House.

This final part of the work will be completed by autumn to ensure customers can make the most of their new central heating during the colder months.

Cliff Horrocks, whg's Director of Asset Management, said: "We are pioneers of the CESP, having been the first in the country to trial it, and have other exciting schemes on the anvil.

"Jones House is our second CESP project, both working with British Gas, and another example of how we are using the programme to significantly improve whg homes for the benefit of our customers and the environment."

The first CESP took place in Blakenall, Walsall, and attracted a visit from Joan Ruddock MP, then Minister of the Department for Energy and Climate Change.