case study
Bringing these mid-20th century buildings up to modern standards however is a challenge that is being grappled with by housing associations and local authorities looking to upgrade their housing stock. Inverclyde-based housing association River Clyde Homes (RCH)
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inherited 7,830 properties across Greenock in west Scotland from Inverclyde Council in 2007, along with the sizeable task to considerably improve the housing stock quality, just five per cent of of which met the Scottish Housing Quality Standards (SHQS) at the time. Since then, the association’s extensive regenerative work – including
demolitions, building 473 new homes and upgrading existing properties – has meant RCH has managed to increase the quantity of its SHQS- compliant homes to 98 per cent of its homes. To make a success of its refurbishment and development work however,
the housing association has focused on a significant issue in improving its housing stock – Inverclyde’s fast-changing demographics. With younger people moving out of town, Greenock, once a major port and shipbuilding centre on the south bank of River Clyde, had seen its population become significantly older. Realising that over 40 per cent of its tenants today are aged 60 or over
led the association to look at ways to best adapt the homes to its tenants’ changing needs.
“RCH, which has invested over £95m in regeneration works to date, completed a £2m facelift of a 12-storey residential block at the east end of Greenock”
A new purpose
The association’s focus of catering for the local ageing population was demonstrated as part of over £95m worth of investment, which involved the completition of a £2m facelift of a 12-storey residential block at the east end of Greenock in November. Cartsdyke Apartments, formerly known as Cartsdyke Court, was erected
in the east end of Greenock in the late 1960s during the most prolific period of high-rise blocks constructed in the UK. At the time, the building had been designed as a mixed-tenure residence with little reference to what could be required by older tenants in the future. Before undertaking refurbishment works on the tower, RCH consulted
the residents on the accessibility provisions that could be incorporated Continued on page 24....
oncrete tower blocks may be considered a symbol of a bygone era, but it’s no secret that these streets in the sky are still serving their purpose, housing millions of social housing tenants across the UK.
Phase I Apr 2014 – Jun 2014 • Cost: £141,000 Roof insulation
Phase II Oct 2014 – Dec 2014 • Cost: £170,000 EWI/render and localised asbestos strip-out
Phase III Aug 2015 –Nov 2016 • Cost £1.75m Biomass system/new plant room, distribution pipework and radiators, new windows Communal areas refurbishment Stonework
22 | HMM January 2017 |
www.housingmmonline.co.uk
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