A JOINT £620,000 improvement project has proved so successful that it is being repeated elsewhere.

Middlesbrough Borough Council teamed up with Llewellyn Stonecare to renovate high-rise homes in Glastonbury House, east Middlesbrough. The scheme received such widespread praise, with 99 per cent of residents expressing satisfaction, that the partnership is being extended.

In the next few weeks, Llewellyn will start work on a second high-rise block, Jupiter Court, for the council.

Commissioner for regeneration, Councillor John Jones, said: "I am absolutely delighted with the standard of work and the response of tenants. This has been a model of customer care."

The refurbishment of the 15-storey Glastonbury House included renewing the roof, carrying out structural repairs and re-pointing, and installing uPVC windows in all 91 flats.

Before the work began, tenants were consulted on colour schemes and were given at least a week's notice on when workmen would visit them. They got monthly progress updates on the work, which finished four weeks earlier than predicted.

Derek Haynes, chief executive of Lewellyn, said: "I'm delighted at the news of follow-on works, as partnering is at the core of our business strategy."