Description

35 terraced houses, many in an advanced state of decay, were retained and transformed by the Affordable Housing Development Company into good quality homes as part of an area-wide regeneration programme.

Existing housing

The Anfield-Breckfield area consists of 5,000 properties, mostly typical late 19th or early 20th century brick terrace houses with slate roofs. They are laid out in long terraces on small plots with small front gardens and a back yard exiting to a narrow back alley. Most have two floors with two rooms per floor, although there are some larger three-storey houses with three or more bedrooms.

Many houses had been vacant for five or more years by 2000.   Dry rot was becoming widespread, many roofs and rear extensions had collapsed and some houses suffered from vandalism and fire damage.

The strategy for Anfield-Breckfield

Initial proposals by nearby Liverpool Football Club to clear housing adjacent to their ground were met with opposition. The local community was consulted on the best way to regenerate the area between Stanley Park and Breckfield Road.

The preferred option was a mixed approach – 1,400 houses demolished, 1,900 refurbished and 400 new homes built with:

• streetscape and open space improvements (including the restoration of the Gladstone Conservatory in Stanley Park)
• an improved shopping environment
• new educational, health and community facilities
• new jobs many through tourism-related initiatives.

Some larger houses were prioritised for refurbishment. These would give more space and bedrooms than a new-build house and their refurbishment would ensure that a diverse range of house sizes would remain available. 

Skerries Road pilot schemes

Ten properties in Skerries Road were refurbished by Maritime Housing Association on behalf of Liverpool Football Club before the Affordable Housing Development Company was involved. The internal spaces were reorganised, adding conservatories and using the rear alley to extend the length of private gardens.

The Affordable Housing Development Company also ran a pilot scheme on Skerries Road with ten properties. This entailed more substantial interventions with new windows, doors and front walls (although the houses were in a reasonable condition at the beginning). These properties were available for residents moving from properties in the local area scheduled for demolition. 

Tancred Road scheme

The 25 refurbished houses at Tancred Road were in a far worse physical state and have had a major overhaul.

Work started on site in March 2007, a show home was completed in July 2007 and 11 houses had been completed and sold by the beginning of 2008. External work to all properties was completed by August 2008, together with council improvements to the pavements and the street.

New roofs or major roof repairs were needed and, in some cases, all first floor brickwork had to be rebuilt, together with related work to floors and walls. Work also involved full replastering and rewiring, and providing double-glazing with low emissivity glass, gas-fired heating, intruder alarms and smoke detection.

Internal layouts were amended to be more open yet retain their essential character. New good quality kitchens and bathrooms have been installed together with ensuite shower rooms to the main bedrooms.