Alex Glass
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Shettleston Demolition and New BuildOn a wee walk about Shettleston today I took a couple of photos of some new houses just off Shettleston Road.
There is also a whole section of poor housing which is currently being demolishes at Balintore and South Chester.
These houses have been cleared and should be demolished within the next few weeks.
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james73
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| Alex Glass wrote: | |
Whilst those types of tenements aren't the best (noise insulation between the
floors is non-existent) it's a shame they are being readily demolished. An alternative
might have been to lob off the top floor, lower the roof and knock through the ground
and first floor flats, adding an internal staircase. This was done in Coll Street, Germiston.
A lad I was at school lived there and they had a 4 or 5 bedroom house. Add cladding,
install new windows and central heating and this would provide some decent large-ish
family homes, no? Seems a bit of a waste to me.
I mean, wooden-clad houses? In Scotland? 
James H
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Alex Glass
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Have to agree with you James. There appears to be a similar drive like there was during the 60's to remove completely rather than as you say carry out innovative alterations and address the severe shortage of larger houses throughout Glasgow.
Although I do remember they tried to do that in Darnley when the Housing Association took over the old deck access houses. They knocked off the top floor and altered the layout so that the blocks where converted to terrace housing with front street level doors.
I think they found it more expensive to carry out the alterations and decided to revert to demolition and re-build.
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james73
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| Alex Glass wrote: | Have to agree with you James. There appears to be a similar drive like there was during the 60's to remove completely rather than as you say carry out innovative alterations and address the severe shortage of larger houses throughout Glasgow.
Although I do remember they tried to do that in Darnley when the Housing Association took over the old deck access houses. They knocked off the top floor and altered the layout so that the blocks where converted to terrace housing with front street level doors.
I think they found it more expensive to carry out the alterations and decided to revert to demolition and re-build. |
If that's the case it makes you question the quality of the new build replacements...
James H
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scallopboy
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I also think there are some tax advantages to new build as opposed to renovation, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. 
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Alex Glass
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When you take account of the demolition cost as well. I am not sure of the economics of the argument between renovation/newbuld.
Sometimes I think that it is more a society problem. The throw away society we live in has taken away the benefit of repair/renovation.
Not to get too heavy but during the stock transfer debate it was argued that there was no real value in what the GHA planned, which was in the main an investment based on renovation and repair of the vast majority of the stock. There was a requirement to demolish a substantial number of houses/flats as the demand for social housing in Glasgow was on a downward spiral. Most vested interests wanted the stock so that they could demolish and carry out re-provision of the stock. This in effect promoted the demolition and rebuild of the majority of the stock as it was felt this was what the tenants wanted - a new house rather that a renovated house.
Jumps of his soap box 
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AlanM
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| scallopboy wrote: | | I also think there are some tax advantages to new build as opposed to renovation, but for the life of me I can't remember what they are. |
Its either no VAT or reduced VAT on new builds and the full 17.5% on a refurb
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