james73
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Winget rescue bid unveiledWinget rescue bid unveiled
IT'S been one of Glasgow's longest-running housing sagas.
But after a 20-year battle, residents of the Winget scheme in Carntyne
have finally been told their homes can be saved.
Glasgow Housing Association announced today that structural work on the
993 East End properties would give each house at least another 50 years
of life.
The houses - built in the late 1920s using a reinforced concrete design -
were designated defective more than 20 years ago due to their structure
type.
Bosses described the new development as a "major breakthrough".
However, they admitted the work won't be cheap - it will cost £60,000 to
upgrade each home.
GHA says it is willing to foot the £40million bill to improve nearly 700
properties owned by it.
And grants of at least 50% could be available to 200 residents who own
their homes but share their blocks with GHA tenants.
But another 100 homeowners - in stand-alone houses - would have to
stump up all the cash for their improvements.
| Quote: | Fight has lasted over 20 years
Long-suffering residents of the Wingets have fought a hard campaign to save
their homes.
The houses were built in Carntyne in the late 1920s. Cheap poured concrete
columns were used to support walls that are now buckling as the concrete crumbles.
The 993 properties - a mixture of semi-detached and four-in-a-block styles - were
officially declared defective in 1984 and were said to have an average lifespan
of six years.
That has meant the threat of demolition has hung over the homes for years.
In 2003, when Glasgow Housing Association took over the management of most
of the Wingets, surveys showed the cost of fixing them would be around £40,000
each.
Housing bosses said it might be cheaper to bulldoze the properties and build new
homes, but residents were adamant they should be saved.
For the next three years engineers, tenants, homeowners and housing bosses
argued over the cost and viability of fixing the estate.
In April 2007 GHA launched a pilot project to finally decide the future of the
houses.
The results were revealed today - they can be saved, but it will cost £60,000 each.
GHA says it will pay the £40m for its 696 tenants to have the work done. But the
future remains uncertain for the 297 homeowners.
Those who share their block with GHA-owned properties could be eligible for grants.
However, other owner-occupiers may have to fund the work alone.
Banks and building societies are reluctant to lend cash to upgrade buildings such as
Wingets, which do not conform to modern building standards.
However, the Evening Times was told by a source work is going on behind the scenes
to persuade financial institutions to change their view. |
James H
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