Dramatic facelift for 200 rundown homes in Hull's Boulevard area
SOME of the oldest and most rundown housing in the city is undergoing a dramatic facelift.
Just over 200 Victorian terraced homes in west Hull are having external solid wall insulation installed.
The work is radically changing the look of Airlie Street, Albemarle Street and Aylsford Street, as well as a number of court terraces in the area near the former Boulevard rugby ground.
Many are also being brought back into use for the first time in years after being left in limbo following a multi-million pound property investment fraud.
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They are owned by investors who bought them at the height of the buy-to-let boom a decade ago.
The investment company involved in the deals was eventually wound-up in 2003 after a series of complaints from investors who were seeing no return on their money.
A subsequent investigation by the Serious Fraud Office led to five company directors being jailed.
The facelift work is being carried out by Hull City Council with a mix of local and national government funding, even though the properties are still privately owned.
Along with her husband Kenneth, Barbara Downs bought their house in Albermarle Street 43 years ago.
She said: "It was a lovely place in those days but things started going downhill about ten years ago.
"The work they are doing now is making such a difference.
"We have had the new insulation and have already noticed it's a lot warmer."
As part of the work, homeowners are being offered new boilers, central heating and loft insulation if they are required.
The wider project involving empty homes covers properties in the Boulevard area, as well as Wellsted Street in west Hull and Holland Street in east Hull.
Council officials are aiming to track down more than 150 owners, some of whom are believed to be investors based overseas.
Some of the properties will be offered for rent by the council through head leases agreed with their owners.
Others are being given to other organisations, including Hull housing charity Giroscope.
Councillor John Black, portfolio holder for housing, said: "The Newington and St Andrew's area of the city was identified as having some of the worst private housing stock in the country, compounded by properties left empty and a lack of investment by some property owners.
"The council and its partners in the voluntary, community and private sector have worked hard and successfully secured funding to help improve properties and bring others back into use in the Boulevard area.
"The council has put some of its own money to match fund schemes in the Boulevard area, including an energy efficiency improvement scheme, which will offer a package of efficiency measures best suited to the individual property.
"This will add value to the homes in the area, making them cheaper to run for those living in the properties.
"There has been a positive reaction to these works and a really high level of take-up."
The facelift work is being carried out by Hull construction firm Hobson and Porter.
Comments
by qualitychap
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 4:27PM
“i like regeneration,lets face it hull needs lots of it,these properties are probably about 100 years old,i think it would be better to have demolished them,as damp will always return in the old brickwork.
it would have been better to redesign the streets and give new houses gardens,as i think many of these properties have just back yards and I'm sure the residents would prefer a little garden.”
by bobbydisco
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 2:14PM
“He's got a lovely rack!”
by cmbuild
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 1:25PM
“You can't polish a Richard III.”
by PeeScooper
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 10:53AM
“This is what they should have done off Hawthorn Ave instead of building those god awful chalet style houses. Nothing wrong with the houses, it's the lazy slackers inhabiting them..”
by superdredge
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 10:32AM
“Joelynas.in answer to your question no im not been racist but these run down areas seem to be the prefered places to house immigrants maybe spring bank is another.”
by JoeLynas
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 10:08AM
“@superdredge What have immigrants got to do with it? Or are you just being a racist?”
by deanog734
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 9:19AM
“E.G. Manor properties !!”
by goldenspecial
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 8:44AM
“Don't forgot the compulsory purchase order that is bound to come in a couple of years now all this money is to be invested
The landlord will sit out and wait for a offer twice the market value and hold up multi million pound housing development.
It seems to me the less landlords do to their properties and for the local communities the bigger the future financial gain.”
by Prescotts_Cat
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 8:18AM
“Usually when people own their own home they put their hand in their own pocket for upgrades. So an investor who could be living in the south of France gets his investment done up for free and then reaps the rewards of getting rent from tenants, paid for by the taxpayer. Disgusting.”