Housing Regeneration and Environmental Improvement Schemes

Dawdon

A ten year housing renewal programme is underway.  Nine repair schemes involving the renewal of doors, windows, and guttering for privately owned terraced housing have already been completed.

The scheme continues in Shrewsbury, Chaplin, Margaret, Maglona, Embleton and Stavordale Streets which will be completed by early October 2014.

Easington Colliery, Wembley

A number of terraced streets, where properties were mainly empty, have been demolished. A repair scheme has seen the renewal of windows, doors, fascias, guttering and boundary walls in four streets. The third phase of the scheme of Hawthorn and James Street was completed in May 2014.

Stanley, Craghead

Since 2007, Craghead has been subject to an environmental improvement scheme.  This has included repair works to groups of properties as well as the creation of off street parking and a new landscaped open space.

To access property improvement grants, landlords within the repair areas are required to use our tenant referencing scheme which has resulted in more responsible lettings.

A particular problem for Craghead was that 75% of homes had solid walls with very low energy efficiency ratings. We pioneered a brick effect insulated render system to overcome this. Together with the installation of new doors and windows, these properties now achieve a significantly improved category B energy rating.

The project has had a significant impact on improving property and management standards.154 properties have been improved so far and 89 properties have had solar PV panels fitted by private arrangement. The scheme won a National Home Improvements Council award in 2011 for best use of solar PV panels in a refurbishment scheme.

Together with Craghead Development Trust and Derwentside Homes, we're continuing our work in the area to bring long term empty properties back into use. In 2007, 17% of properties in the identified areas were empty. This figure currently stands at 7%.

Esh Winning

The 2007 Esh Winning Masterplan, produced by the former Durham City Council and Durham Villages Regeneration Company (DVRC) identified a variety of ways to improve the village. In terms of housing, several properties were demolished to make way for new housing.

So far, 60 new properties have been built in partnership with Keepmoat, and Housing Associations' Isos Ltd and Durham Aged Miners Housing Association. These offer a range of affordable, social and open market 'for sale' housing.

In Spring 2013, Isos started work on 10 more properties after making a successful grant funding bid to the Homes and Communities Agency. Planning permission has also been granted for a further development of 78 properties.

Wheatley Hill

The former Easington District Council produced a masterplan for the area which included reclamation of colliery sites and work on a range of housing, environmental and community schemes.

Current projects in the Wheatley Hill South West area include:

• The demolition of 40 properties of poor quality and low demand in Cain Terrace and Henderson Avenue and 10 units in Ryan Terrace. This is due to be finished in March 2014.
• The development of a new medical centre - due to be completed by Spring 2015.

Past schemes

Past work has included the demolition of properties in Ferryhill and Chilton where there is low demand and/or housing of poor quality. We have used the cleared sites to create landscaped open space and off street parking.

We have also carried out repair schemes to improve remaining housing in these areas.