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Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2003

Application form

This application form can either be completed by hand or electronically (pdf version) on the Planning homepage at www.scotland.gov.uk/planning . Please complete all four questions. The deadline is 12 September 2003. An acknowledgement letter will be sent to the person who has completed this form.

Please provide a name and contact details of the organisation responsible for this work. If partners were involved, identify the lead organisation, and then list the other partners/bodies who had a key role.

Name of key partners (if appropriate)

Please complete the form by providing a brief summary (in no more than the space provided) of the piece of work you have entered. You must also conclude, with a key reason, as to why you think this work merits an Award.

Please tick the key criteria which relate to this entry:

You must describe in your written submission (below) how the criteria which you have ticked relates to your project.

Description of project

Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust (SBPT) was formed in 1985 for the restoration and reuse of derelict historic buildings and structures within the Strathclyde area. The Trust is a registered charity and has completed eight restoration projects on a range of building types and uses.

Westgate House is a beautifully restored Category B listed building in a prominent location in the centre of Newmilns in East Ayrshire. The building had remained unoccupied and in a state of increasing dereliction for approximately ten years and previous attempts to restore the building had failed. In March 2003 the building was successfully restored and converted to provide 19 flats for those with an identified housing need and sold to Shire Housing Association.

The building was formerly a thriving Co-op, with shops on the ground floor, offices on the first floor and a British Legion hall at attic level making it a focus for commercial and social life in Newmilns. However, with the change in retail patterns in the 1980s, the Co-op moved out of the centre of the town.

Ownership of the building split with one party owning the ground floor shops and another party owning the upper floors. A difficult housing market and disagreements over necessary repairs meant that the building deteriorated and no action was taken.

The project was only made possible by the creation of a partnership between Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust, East Ayrshire Council by carrying out a Compulsory Purchase to release the property and provide grant funding through the Empty Homes Initiative, Newmilns Townscape Heritage Initiative by providing grant funding, Historic Scotland by providing grant funding, Shire Housing Association by agreeing to purchase the completed building and Architectural Heritage Fund by providing grant funding and a cash flow loan. Without the commitment and co-operation of the above organisations, the project would not have been completed.

The Westgate Co-op is a Category B Listed Building, located at the junction between Main Street and High Street, Newmilns. The project involved the full restoration of the building fabric and the replacement of the ground floor shop fronts as well as the conversion of the interior to create a total of 19 flats of various sizes for rent.

The original building was designed by Gabriel Andrew, architect, and erected in 1900. However, it was damaged by fire 1908 and rebuilt. The building is a 2-storey and attic red sandstone Free Renaissance building on a triangular site, which culminates in a tower feature at the apex.

Total costs for the restoration and conversion of Westgate House are approximately 1,500,000. The project is one of two critical projects within the Newmilns Townscape Heritage Initiative.

Timescale (over which the project has developed)

The project has taken many years to prepare, owing to the refusal of the previous owners either to restore the property or to sell it on for others to restore. East Ayrshire Council and its predecessors have worked hard to achieve the restoration of this building over many years. An agreement was entered into with Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust in 1995 to secure their assistance in the repair, conservation and conversion of this building. In 2000, East Ayrshire Council commenced Compulsory Purchase proceedings and finally secured the ownership of the building in November 2001 for a back4o-back transfer to SBPT.

The works commenced in January 2002 and were completed in February 2003. Key aspects of the project were:

Eradication of infestation
Re-roofing
Stone repairs
Infill of ground floor
Installation of new windows and doors
Restoration of the tower
Internal fitting out
Provision of car parking

Shire Housing Association purchased the flats in March 2003 and the building was fully occupied within a couple of months of the hand-over.

Context (the problem which had to be addressed)

The principal problem was overcoming the dereliction and vacancy of the property, which had for many years become an eyesore. Due to the decline of lace making, the traditional industry in the area, the options for reusing the property were limited. A residential development was chosen as the most sustainable use and a suppressed housing market meant that significant grant assistance was required.

The creation of the Newmilns Townscape Heritage Initiative (NTHI), which is an ongoing project in the centre of Newmilns to secure the restoration of a total of six vacant and derelict buildings, plus the redevelopment of two gap sites, provided an additional source of funding which in partnership with the other funding bodies, allowed the project to proceed. The NTHI builds on the success of the earlier Newmilns and Greenholm Initiative, which itself addressed the restoration of a number of listed buildings that had become derelict as a consequence of economic decline stemming largely from the reduced manufacturing base in the area of lace design and production.

The principal objective of the NTHI is to contribute towards the economic, environmental and social

regeneration of the historic heart of Newmilns and the wider Irvine Valley. Specifically, the Initiative seeks to:

(a) Improve the quality and image of the built environment
(b) Stimulate occupation and use of historic buildings; and
(c) Support sensitive new build development in important gap sites.

The NTHI is providing grant assistance for the purpose of carrying out building development and environmental improvements in Newmilns for the following:

(a) building restoration and renovation works
(b) new build works
{c) the environmental improvement of open space and waste ground in Newmilns
(d) reinstatement of architectural details and features.

The NTHI commenced in December 1999 and runs until the 31 March 2005.

Action taken

The action that was taken was:

Identification of problem property by the former Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council

Involvement of partners - following an approach by the Council, Strathclyde Building Preservation Trust agreed to become involved in the development of the project

Refusal to sell privately - however, SBPT was unable to purchase the properties by agreement

Compulsory Purchase - as a result of which East Ayrshire Council finally agreed to undertake the compulsory purchase

Preparation of scheme - various schemes were prepared over the years, culminating in a scheme to convert the building into 19 flats by WI Munro Architects for subsequent sale to Shire Housing Association Limited

Identification of other project partners including Historic Scotland, Empty Homes Initiative, Newmilns THI and Architectural Heritage Fund

Completion of scheme - this took place in February of 2003.

Results achieved

The results have been:

A fully restored category B listed building

Creation of 19 flats for people in housing need

Jobs created/sustained during the construction phase

Improved feeling of well being in the town

Reinstatement of prominent landmark in the Irvine Valley

Conclusion - Why does this piece of work merit an Award?

The restoration of this landmark building in Newmilns and the Irvine Valley is a major achievement, not only securing the future of the category B listed building as 19 attractive homes for local residents, but also helping contribute to a new feeling of civic pride in Newmilns and the Irvine Valley.

The project was made possible by the initial partnership between SBPT and the local Council. As the project developed other partners were identified including Shire Housing Association, who came on board as end user for the project, and the Architectural Heritage Fund, a charity that provides small grants and cash flow loans to building preservation trusts. The funding of the project was only possible through a further partnership, that of the Newmilns Townscape Heritage Initiative, which itself is a partnership between East Ayrsh ire Council and the Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership. The NTHI is funded in partnership by Heritage Lottery Fund, Historic Scotland, Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire, Empty Homes Initiative, Communities Scotland and East Ayrshire Council, whilst the IVRP includes representatives of the local Community Council, local businesses and other local interest groups.

Without any of these partners, the project would have foundered. The fact that they have all worked successfully together is a tribute to all concerned and is principally due to the importance and prominence of this landmark listed building in Newmilns and the collective desire to secure its restoration and conversion to a new use.

Date
10 September 2003

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