Our History

In the early 70’s, Glasgow District Council decided to proceed with wholesale purchase and demolition of many tenements in the area. There was a change of government policy and in 1975 a survey was commissioned for declaring the city’s first Housing Action Area.

In the same year, a Steering Group was formed with a Development Officer recruited and consultants appointed to acquire and improve properties in the area. Unfortunately, it was too late to save some of the older tenements and further demolitions continued up to 1980.

Tenements

From 1977 to 1979 approximately 59% (469) of the Association’s tenement properties (Pre 1895) were refurbished to a minimum standard commonly known as “patch and repair”.

Basically this meant that all electrical, plumbing, heating systems, kitchen units and bathroom suites were upgraded (most properties had outside toilets) however flooring, plasterwork and sash casement windows were left in situ and only repaired (patched) if necessary. Walls were decorated with woodchip wallpaper.

The heating system comprised of a gas fire in the living room and a gas multipoint water heater installed in the kitchen. At the time none of the bedrooms had any form of heating although gas wall heaters were installed at a later date.

Common close doors were installed but none of the properties had a door entry system in place. Communal back court works were carried out to an open plan basic standard.

New roof work including roof tiles, flashings and gutter replacements was carried out and external walls cleaned and restored.

After 1979 all the other tenement properties 41% (329) were upgraded to a higher standard appropriately named “full gut”. This also included all of the original plasterwork, flooring and the majority of windows being replaced (single glazed). Central heating boilers were installed with radiators in each room with the exception of the kitchen and bathroom (partial heating system). Door entry systems and close doors were also installed. Communal back courts were also upgraded.

Since 2007 the Association has carried out a full refurbishment programme to tenement closes at 171,173 Brand Street (2005), 25, 27 and 29 Harley Street (2007) and 40 and 46 Elderpark Street (2010) all to a very high standard.

New Build

All new build schemes at Uist Street (1982), Garmouth Gardens (1985), Fairfield (1986), Ibrox baths (1996), Garmouth Street (1995) and the Ink works site (1992) were constructed between 1982 and 1996.

More recent new build schemes constructed were Skene and Ryhnie (2009), Harhill (2010) 10 Elderpark Street (2011) and St Anthony’s (2012)