Demolition plan for 1,200 homes
David Moroney • Published 26 Oct 2011 11:00
13 Comments
Share this
click to enlarge
DEMOLITION PLAN: The tenements in Bouverie Street in Port Glasgow are set to be demolished.
INVERCLYDE'S largest social landlord wants residents to see its vision for the future.
Proposals include demolition programmes, refurbishment and feasibility studies to ensure housing meets national standards.
River Clyde Homes has launched seven Neighbourhood Plans outlining work it wants to carry out in coming years.
Among the 1,200 homes earmarked for demolition are the prominent long row of tenements in Port Glasgow's Bouverie Street, plus the Selkirk, Melrose and Peebles high-rise flats in Belville Street.
The housing association is looking for customers' views before a final set of plans is published in April.
RCH say that while their programme for 2014 and 2015 has not yet been drawn up, it will include remaining core stock that has not been brought up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS) - the status all housing associations must meet by 2015.
The landlord currently has three categories of housing stock.
The majority is core stock that will be brought up to the SHQS by 2015.
There are approximately 1,200 properties to be demolished in total.
This leaves just over 1,000 properties that will be subject to feasibility studies.
Lynne Carr, RCH chief executive, said: "We really want customers to give us feedback on the plans and tell us what other things they would like to see included in their area plan."
Drop-in sessions have been organised for tenants in each affected area between 1 and 4pm during the next week.
The drop-ins are: Greenock South on Thursday at Kilblain Court FITRA office; Gourock and Inverkip, Friday, at Riverside Gardens; Lower Port Glasgow, Monday, at 7 1/2 John Wood Street; Kilmacolm and Upper Port Glasgow, Tuesday, at Monkton Place; Greenock East, Wednesday, at Craigend Resource Centre; Greenock South West, Thursday, at Fancy Farm Tenants' Hall and Greenock Town Centre, Friday, at John Galt House.
This article appeared in Greenock Telegraph 26 Oct 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
-
askelvis
470 posts
Oct 26, 11:49
Report commentIt’s great that all these new houses are getting built. The only problem is the people who ruined the old houses will be the 1st to get the new ones and run them down. The Scu........m just can’t help themselves. While the good folk miss out
Recommend?
Yes 30
No 1
-
letitbe
11 posts
Oct 26, 12:05
Report commentIt will be with mixed feelings that I will watch the demolition. I grew up in the late forties and fifties in Bouverie Street and have very happy memories of my childhood. I did not know that I came from a deprived area until I read it in a national paper when I was about 14. Such was the strength of good neighbours in those days. One on my old homes has already been levelled and is currently a club. I will be sorry to see my other home and the local shop disappear. However, I am sensible enough to recognise the need for such actions. Elvis I share your pain but let us hope that this project bucks the trend.
Recommend? Yes 9
No 2
-
Gregor
214 posts
Oct 26, 12:14
Report commentRiver Clyde Homes created a letting system that was a single list. They then tell long standing tenants that where you are on the list depends upon "need" and that is the law.
Reader I contacted the Minister responsible for housing in the Scottish Parliament. I was told they can create TWO lists. One can be for long standing tenants and the other for those in need. Housing Associations have to have a make reasonable PROVISION for those in "need".
In having just one list long standing tenants are severely disadvantaged. To illustrate, if they stay in a high rise block that is not to be demolished they will never get out it - even if they have paid rent for 40 years.
The single list allows
1 - People to move into houses that are to be demolished - and then they get a nice new house in spite of only being tenants for a very short time.
2 - It allows very young tenants to get houses that others have waited 30 years on.
3 - It allows people to be evicted for not paying their mortgage in the west end say to get new houses.
4 - It allows the "homeless" - as per goal birds to get good housing that long standing tenants are not getting. It also allows people to become pretend homeless and then they get a good house.
They tell tenants the Board decided on the above. Note that not one tenant on the Board was voted into position - NOT one tenant voted for them.
And yes, their policy means that good areas and good closes and so on will be destroyed - it is already the case.
As for the Board and tenant members - how many of them will be adversley effected by the letting policy? Correct NONE of them. As I said they are on the Board minus a vote being cast for them.
Recommend? Yes 15
No 2
-
impartial
209 posts
Oct 26, 12:54
Report commentReclad the high flats in Belville Street and install a pitch roof at great expense then demolish it ..... where is the forward thinking in that.
Recommend? Yes 18
No 0
-
rangers
7 posts
Oct 26, 13:12
Report commentWhy Oh why did the local council spend so much money replacing windows adding new roofs only to have the high flats in Belville street knocked down. For years the people of greenock have witnessed the down turn in these houses, when the good householders left the junkies and the like moved in. When will this council learn that dumping all the unwanted in one local does not work JUST LOOK AT WHAT HAS HAPPENED not to mention the costs involved. They appear not have learn anything in the past 30 + years it is not allways best to destroy what about revamp surely that must be cheaper !!!
Recommend? Yes 14
No 0
-
WeeJockW
676 posts
Oct 26, 13:21
Report comment -
tanya83
3 posts
Oct 26, 13:34
Report commentyeeeyeee bild new houses but the 1s that ant geting pulled down have to rot think about the houses ppl have to live in just know av been in ma house over 6 year way ma living room hall and 2 off ma bedrooms roofs cracked kichen falling apart and still no sin off new kichens or bathrooms in this aira yet unless ya move out thay get done for new ppl to move it
Recommend? Yes 3
No 9
-
allross
31 posts
Oct 26, 14:01
Report commentreply to impartial high flats new roofs that was nothing to do with RCH it was inverclyde council
Recommend? Yes 6
No 0
-
******
Oct 27, 00:13
Report commentThis comment has been removed by a moderator
-
wallace1297
117 posts
Oct 27, 01:39
Report comment£2 million was spent on the Belville Street flats just over a decade ago despite the Labour council at the time being told by consultants that people do not like living in high rise flats. But still Labour went ahead and did the refurbishments works and now they are demolished.
Recommend? Yes 10
No 0
-
Idoubtit
134 posts
Oct 27, 21:41
Report commentElvis, where else would these people go? Social housing is intended for exactly those people. The idea was to provide decent housing for vulnerable people who previously lived in horrible hovels.
They might think of ejecting people who can afford to buy but prefer to live in council houses and free up more money to repair and maintain houses for people like Tanya or others who are actually in need.
Recommend? Yes 2
No 1
-
dustyroads
37 posts
Oct 28, 01:02
Report commentMy gripe about Housing. Albeit from a long time ago. Is The Labour Councillors, so called helpers, of the Working classes/underdogs. I joined the Armed Forces in the 70's And was on a Local Council Housing List. So when I left The Forces My points would have accumulated over the years I Served. And I would get a Council House Where I was Registered. Oh no. No Chance. Greenock Labour Took Control.As it was now called Inverclyde Council All serving Forces Personnel Were Kicked off the housing list. And told to re-apply once you were in the Town a YEAR. I met up with a few ex forces personnel who had the same problem.A few left as they had a better deal with other towns who appreciated ex service men & women. Remember the Military Displays at Ravenscraig each Spring? Who stopped that ? Labour Councillors of course. They also stopped Army Recruiting at Clyde Square. At least the Army got the better of them when the Royal Corps of Transport brought a Landing Craft into the Victoria Harbour with various Military Items. Makes you wonder what Labour was all about in those days. Question is have they ever changed there attitude towards Service Personnel After all they sent them into Iraq on a false promise.
Recommend? Yes 3
No 1
-
alwood
30 posts
Nov 3, 02:09
Report commentAs long as the working class keep paying the ever rising taxes, government bodies and councils will just keep wasting it, yet most of the working class will struggle to pay bills and running costs on their own home, but dare them miss a council tax payment!
There needs to be changes made fast.
Recommend? Yes 2
No 0
-
mackenzie1
1 post
Jan 25, 09:55
Report commentDoes anyone have any thoughts or information about Clune street, Robert street , Wallace street etc. Are these also planned to be demolished? Or are they putting cash into them to sprouse them up. Any help would be appreciated, thinking about buying in that area. Thanks
Recommend? Yes 0
No 0
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.
