Just imagine if you could carry out a major brownfield housing development that met Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 or 5 at a fraction of the cost of much less sustainable buildings. Imagine if you could build the development at a land-efficient 90-100 homes a hectare and still provide all the residents with their own ground-level front door and gardens. Imagine if you could do this and ensure the homes had a coherent, mature and functional community from day one. And imagine if you could do it without wasting the energy embodied in the buildings already on the site.

Most people would laugh at the notion. But this opportunity already exists in many, if not most, of our towns and cities, yet a substantial chunk of one billion pounds the Government proposes to spend over the next three years will be devoted to reducing these opportunities.

No-one who has followed the controversy over plans by DCLG’s housing market renewal pathfinders to demolish tens of thousands of late-Victorian and Edwardian “byelaw” terraces will be too surprised, however. Earlier plans to knock down 400,000 have been scaled down to 40,000, but 10,000 have already gone. But the Commons Public Accounts Committee report in June noted that, while the pathfinders have achievements to record, their £1.2bn spend to date has only produced 1,000 new homes and their demolitions brought little benefit to housing markets, left residents whose homes were compulsorily purchased £35,000 short of the cost of a suitable local alternative and damaged communities and local heritage.

One city where pathfinder demolitions have attracted little attention is Manchester, so SAVE Britain’s Heritage decided to commission a report from architect Mark Hines on alternatives to plans to replace 550 of the 700 terraced houses in east Manchester’s Toxteth Street area with 432 townhouses and flats.

“The Council hadn’t even considered rehabilitation or refurbishment,” says SAVE secretary William Palin. “This sort of exercise should have been done years ago.”
The area is typical of the “Coronation Street” image of Greater Manchester which clearances have actually destroyed most of, leaving the much more serious problems of post-war housing. The Terrace Reborn says the homes have provided sound accommodation for more than a century, are generally in good condition and contribute to Manchester’s architectural and urban character. They are built at 90-100/ha, provide amenity space and give residents their own front door, something many designers currently consider impossible.

Seven years ago when work began to persuade local people to support destruction of their community, the area had a vibrant community but three years ago planning permission was given for redevelopment and insecurity and the threat of a CPO has persuaded around half the residents to move out, following which buildings have deteriorated.
The report looks at providing the homes with three possible types rear extensions to give upstairs bathrooms, more light, balconies and better heat retention. New internal layouts are also considered as is the possibility of combining two neighbouring houses to give a larger family home. The rear yards and alleys could be reconfigured in a number of ways to give gardens, new accommodation or parking.

Apart from saving the houses’ embodied energy, refurbishment could include new insulation, efficient lighting, drought proofing, improved windows, efficient heating systems and perhaps solar panels, ground source heat pumps, new floors, photovoltaics and efficient water systems.

It says the houses’ existing materials, chimneys and front doors are important historic reminders and could get new uses, such as light and ventilation stacks. Facades would be restored to regain architectural cohesion and there would be streetscape improvements with some streets closed and home zones. A typical upgrade would cost about £60,000, although there would also be economies of scale.

“Several architects and engineers who specialise in this kind of refurbishment believe there are ways of bringing homes up to this level without prohibitive costs,” says Palin.
So far, however, rehabilitation schemes for the terraces are few and expensive. But a major opportunity for older town and city areas could literally be right on their doorsteps.

The Rebirth of Toxteth Street: Alternatives to Demolition
u http://www.savebritainsheritage.org/hinesreport.pdf

Commons Public Accounts Committee: Housing Market Renewal: Pathfinders (HC 106)
u http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmpubacc/106/10602.htm