Evaluation

The Anfield-Breckfield pilot schemes are good examples for weighing up the costs of refurbishment against demolition and re-build.

The design approach

A successful outcome has been achieved through a positive reinstatement of the form and rhythm of the street. Residents and members of the community are pleased with the outcome, yet there is a lot to do before the plan for the whole Anfield & Breckfield area is completed.

Lessons from Tancred Road

Affordable Homes Development Company are realistic about the lessons from this pilot, stressing that ‘this is not the solution but is a solution where the circumstances are right’. It is clear that the houses are popular and offer a good balance between space and cost.

Affordable Homes Development Company feel that the project’s success is due to making good decisions:

• producing tender documents flexible enough to deal with changes in the scope of work
• securing properties to prevent further vandalism and deterioriation early on
• keeping the roofs watertight with minor, routine maintenance
• calculating cost on a ‘worst case scenario’ basis
• keeping structures stable while rebuilding.

The financial model

Public sector intevention was necessary to make refurbishment economically feasible as the cost would have been more than the house is worth. The houses at Tancred Road were an extreme example of how bad conditions can become if houses enter a spiral of decline.

One key decision was to transfer groups of properties to Affordable Homes Development Company at nominal value, a decision supported by Liverpool Council, Arena Housing and English Partnerships. This allowed them to sell the regenerated properties at market values without having to recoup large acquisition costs.

To make the houses affordable to local people it was likely that eventual values would only just cover refurbishment costs. However, a rising housing market helped to minimise this risk and meant that values were unexpectedly high by the end of the project – one house was sold in 2007 for £155,000.

To clear or refurbish?

Clearance seemed likely in Anfield-Breckfield following studies funded by Liverpool City Council and Liverpool Football Club. However, the public reacted strongly against these plans and Liverpool City Council turned to a new strategy.  This involved working with the Anfield-Breckfield Community Steering Group to come up with alternative proposals.

The consultation process and a strong residents' association campaign revelaed the popularity of the houses themselves and the role of the streets in the context of neighbourhood. The houses formed part of the street pattern that includes the historically important Stanley Park, the local shops and the football stadium. This had a greater value than had been recognised in previous studies.

There is also a strong environmental argument for retaining existing buildings when considering the embedded energy in building materials which would be lost in demolition.

Beyond economic factors

The pilot projects show a commitment to looking beyond the economic arguments for clearance.  The approach favoured by the community retains some of the physical, social and environmental elements of existing housing.

In recognition of this, Affordable Homes Development Company placed covenants on the sale of new properties to prevent occupiers from selling on or renting out for three years.