Excellence in Regeneration Award Win - Partnering pays off for Lochgelly
Dearle and Henderson, Ore Valley Housing Association and its subsidiary Fife HARCA are celebrating the beginning of their 10th year working together on Lochgelly’s regeneration by winning the Excellence in Regeneration Award, from the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Scottish Centre for Regeneration.
Image shows (clockwise from top left) community engagment, New Business Centre,
Cook Square Development and Miners Institute
This is a dramatic turnaround compared to Lochgelly’s recent past; a past in which the once thriving mining industry has disappeared; a past in which the town has been in steady decline and which has led to a period of economic stagnation. Indeed, the town was once described in The Observer as “the last place in Britain people want to live”.
So what has changed in Lochgelly? Since its designation as a regeneration area by Fife Council in 2000, preferred delivery partners Ore Valley Housing Association and Fife HARCA have led the regeneration strategy. This has involved working closely with the council, the local community and consultants Dearle and Henderson - with successful results.
Alan Ferguson, Director of CIH Scotland said Lochgelly “...demonstrated a series of well connected projects dealing with housing, employment, business and community concerns. There is evidence of mature partnership working with strong community input and leadership across all activities. Lochgelly is a well deserved winner and has been successful in improving quality and choice of housing through to community facilities to the public realm.”
Projects which have been completed in the 10 year partnership between Ore Valley HA, Fife HARCA and Dearle and Henderson include 3 phases of new housing replacing problem housing stock in various sites throughout Lochgelly. The multi-award winning Lochgelly Miners Institute now takes pride of place on Main Street serving as both a revitalised community building and premises for Fife Women’s Technology Centre and Adam Smith College, both of whom bring invaluable experience in adult re-training and further education to the residents of Lochgelly and its surrounding areas. The Main Street has further been improved with the development of 12 new-build flats above retail units – the interest in which has been very positive, enhancing the shopping choices in the town.
The year 2010 will see the completion of the iconic Lochgelly Business Centre, on an adjacent site on Main Street. This building, utilising new sustainable technology and fast-track construction techniques, will be owned and managed by Fife HARCA, offering low-cost premises for start-up local businesses, thereby giving the local economy a real chance to flourish.
It is understood however, by all involved, that true regeneration requires more than just buildings – it must involve the local community in as much of the decision-making as possible. This factor is the main reason that a comprehensive environmental improvement audit has been undertaken by Ore Valley with Dearle & Henderson, in close association with local residents groups, to establish a programme to revamp open spaces and green areas in the town.
Image shows plans for Lochgelly's Environmental Strategy
The next phase of housing work involving the construction of terraced houses and flats, some of which will be specially adapted for use in association with The Scottish Society for Autism, is scheduled to start on a site at South Street in April 2010.
The regeneration work in Lochgelly will not stop there; exciting times lie ahead, with Lochgelly having recently been designated as one out of seven Scottish Sustainable Communities. As part of this ongoing process, the Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative - Lochgelly Charrette is scheduled to take place in March 2010, to promote and to facilitate involvement by all parties in the next stage of Lochgelly’s growth and development.
Andrew Saunders Director of Ore Valley Housing Association, and its subsidiary Fife HARCA, commented : “When we were selected to work with Fife Council and the community to deliver regeneration in Lochgelly we were delighted to accept the challenge. As well as the range of housing and physical regeneration projects we have completed and are currently involved in, we continue to take forward a range of projects promoting employment & training, health, whilst sustaining tenancies and promoting involvement in the arts.
We have been supported in our work by a dedicated team of consultants as well as local contractors including Richard Street Ltd who bring added value by being based in Lochgelly. The key to our success in Lochgelly has been the strong partnership which has been developed alongside the support we have had in delivering projects from Fife Council and the Fife Housing Association Alliance.
In all of the work we have completed in Lochgelly we have tried to address the issues which are important to local people.
It has been a pleasure working with the dedicated community in Lochgelly and we look forward to working with them in the years to come on the continuing and emerging challenges facing the town.”
Alan Campell of Dearle and Henderson says: “Continuing partnership working, which has seen such measurable improvements in the town, will surely see Lochgelly once more restored to the thriving Fife town which it once was.”
The award will be presented at the CIH Conference in Glasgow’s SECC on 16th March 2010 by Alex Neil MSP, Minister for Housing and Communities