Govan Housing Association case study

35 McKechnie Street, Glasgow G51 3AQ

Project

Who

Govan Housing Association is a registered social landlord with housing stock of around 1,200 properties on the south bank of the River Clyde. Approximately two thirds of these properties are traditional tenements.
Govan HA also runs management services for over 1,200 domestic properties, and is involved with a range of new build, regeneration and wider role projects in Govan.

What

The Govan HA backcourt improvements involved the complete clearance and rebuild of an enclosed backcourt. The block of traditional sandstone tenements is located between Brand Street, Elizabeth Street, Middleton Street and Midlock Street in the Ibrox area. The development involved reusing and recycling almost all the building waste on site.

Why

The tenement flats had been refurbished but the backcourt was left in a dilapidated state. When funding became available, it was decided to upgrade the backcourt to better match the properties.

When

The first meetings with residents were held during Summer 2006. The work started on site in February 2007 and was completed in May 2007.

History

As part of a wider improvement project to bring tenement properties up to tolerable standards, this tenement block was the first to have all the flats upgraded with internal and external renovations. The closes and the external streetscape had also been refurbished. It was a natural progression to consider improving the backcourt to complete the regeneration.
Govan HA is committed to trying to improve the area and quality of life for all residents. As a social landlord, Govan HA is concerned about the environment that residents live in, and is continually striving to improve it.

Social

The Community

The Ibrox backcourt serves 136 households, 36 of which are Govan HA properties and the remaining flats owner/occupiers. The households represent a diverse group of residents from different cultural backgrounds - Scottish, Asian, African, Eastern European, Pakistani, Congolese.

Consultation

Residents were consulted through public meetings and open days which were advertised through posters and personal invitations. The meetings explained the project and collected feedback. All residents were invited to form a Steering Group for the project, and some residents with a particular interest in gardening became involved.

The Steering Group took part in a field trip to view other examples of successful backcourt improvements. The ideas and suggestions from the visit were fed back to the architects.

As the design progressed, posters were displayed showing the proposed designs, and regular updates were posted in the Govan HA newsletter.
While there was not a high level of resident involvement – a maximum of 24 households – the development of the backcourt from a place only used to dump rubbish to an improved amenity was generally appreciated.

Training & Work Opportunities

There was discussion with a local social economy project in the initial stages of the project to investigate the possibility of providing training or work opportunities as part of the refurbishment. Three short term apprentices were taken on by the contractor for this project.

Participation

As the work was carried out by contractors, there was no opportunity for the residents to get directly involved in the improvement works. However, the planting was designed in partnership with residents, with a view to encouraging those who wished to get involved in gardening.

The design of the new backcourt area includes central bin stores and private spaces, surrounded by hedges, for each close. It is hoped that this semi-private space will encourage a greater use of the backcourts and an improved sense of ownership in the longer term.

Environmental

Security

This is a completely enclosed backcourt with access only through the closes, giving the benefit of a secure and private backcourt. However, the limited access is a drawback for waste collection and for the construction involved in the improvement works. This was overcome during the project works by the sustainable construction method, but it is an ongoing issue for waste collection.

Re-cycling & Reuse

During the construction of the project, re-cycling and reuse of materials were a defining feature, with the majority of the demolition waste being reused directly on site. This level of reuse had several positive environmental impacts by reducing resource use through:-

• Less transport used to bring building materials to the site.
• Less transport used to take building waste away from the site.
• Minimising the amount of waste going to landfill.
• Limiting the amount of new aggregate and hard-core used.

Waste Storage

The new bin stores are spacious and flexible, to accommodate a range of waste storage and recycling containers. The backcourt is now part of the Glasgow City Council tenemental recycling programme and blue bins have been introduced. However, modern bins for general waste have yet to be introduced and the old metal bins are still being used.

Economic

Funding

Funding was provided by Glasgow City Council through the Grant to Improve the Physical and Social Environment scheme – GPSE. This grant schemes enables registered social landlords and the private sector to complement their housing renewal programmes with environmental improvement projects. All funding was provided through this grant, there were no contributions from other funders, owner / occupiers or from Govan HA.

Cost

The total improvement project costs were £378,250 including all fees, VAT and development costs.
 
The contract value was £253,915. The cost of a Micro-Crusher and the additional labour needed for this method of construction was partially offset by the reduction in transport and disposal costs.

Economic Benefits

There has been an increase in the house prices in this block. Backcourt improvement has been an element in the increase but not the sole cause. There has been internal and external renovation and refurbishment to the closes and external streetscape. The combination of improvements has pushed property prices up in comparison to other blocks in the vicinity.

Construction & Maintenance

Method

When the original bin shelters were demolished and the old slabs lifted, none of the material was removed from the backcourt. Instead, all the material was ground in a Micro-Crusher and used as aggregate and hardcore for the new constructions. By using this sustainable construction method, there was no need to remove the bulk of the building waste and the amount of material needing to be brought onto the site, through the closes, was greatly reduced.

In addition to this, the existing drying poles were refurbished and reused by the Govan HA Maintenance Department. Durable, sustainably produced timber was used in the construction of the new bin stores, in conjunction with galvanised steel.

Maintenance

Maintenance is carried out by Govan HA. Residents are encouraged to become involved.

Gallery

Summary

This backcourt was in an extremely poor state, reflecting the previous condition of the surrounding tenements. Govan HA had undertaken a major investment in bringing the tenements up to standard through internal and external refurbishment, and the backcourt was the final and essential piece of the jigsaw.
The funding from Glasgow City Council supported the complete demolition and reconstruction of the backcourts.

The well constructed and aesthetically pleasing new bin shelters form a central area for waste disposal. Hedges divide the remaining space into semi-private areas for each close and it is hoped that residents feel some ownership of their own area and become involved in planting and gardening.

The second phase of backcourt improvements is due to start on the next block of completed and refurbished tenements in April 2008.

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