Courtesy Barrhead News

A £500,000 housing project that aims to tackle eyesore properties has been hailed as a big success by Barrhead residents.

East Renfrewshire Council’s mixed tenure improvement scheme targets blocks that have mixed ownership – council tenants, owner occupiers and private lets.

Since it was launched earlier this year action has been taken at hundreds of properties.

Now, just over six months after the half-million-pound programme swung into action, it has been praised by many of those benefiting.

In Kerr Street, Barrhead, it has even improved community spirit with residents of one block of flats clubbing together to buy communal garden furniture, plants and even a barbecue.

The proud residents took the step after the council’s improvement team moved in to clear the overgrown and run-down garden and clear and clean the close.
Residents on both sides of the close have also now joined forces to take turns to maintain their shared areas.

One of them, Maxine Howroyd, said: “The team arrived and gave the close a thorough clean, plus cut back the hedges and grass.

“They were so helpful and polite and cleared up all the mess afterwards – it was spotless.

“Everyone has been out in the garden, helping each other out and chatting over the fences. It is so nice to look out and see the garden looking so good.”

In Aurs Drive, mum-of-three Lynn McLaughlin, also praised the scheme after her close and shared garden were gutted by the project’s ‘hit squad’ in July. It has been maintained every two weeks since.

She said: “Since the scheme began you can see a big difference across the whole garden. It is better for everyone and encourages people to take their turn.”

Properties in areas which have been targeted to date have also been issued with leaflets that contain easy ways to maintain their gardens themselves.

Convener for housing, Councillor Danny Devlin, said: “We want East Renfrewshire to be somewhere that is safe for everyone and an attractive place for people to live in.

“A community that works together in this wan can only be a huge positive. I have seen the mixed tenancy scheme in action and have been impressed with the pride people are taking in maintaining their properties once the council has been in to clean and clear.”

Since its launch, the mixed tenure improvement scheme has seen work carried out within more than 260 closes, including painting, and more than 160 shared gardens cleared as well as earmarked for regular follow-up maintenance.

There are also one-off works such as fence repair, tree felling and bin removal lined up for more than 120 properties.

It has also had a spin-off for the local economy too – a number of local contractors have been taken on to carry out the work.

And five local jobseekers have been recruited into a dedicated ‘hit squad’, who have so far carried out clearance and repairs to 90 gardens.