| AdminHistory | The Draft New (Livingston) Designation Order 1962 specified that the Corporation was to have completed 1000 homes by 1965 to house the expected overspill for Glasgow that could not be catered for by East Kilbride, Cumbernauld, and Glenrothes. This led to extraordinary pressure on the Corporation to build houses quickly and cheaply in its initial building programmes. The result of such pressure was the adoption of untried, industrial scale techniques. Even by the end of the 1960s there were a variety of structural problems in houses in the first area built by the Corporation, Craigshill - most notably in the 20 four storey Jesperson blocks - but also in other dwellings that had problems with condensation, dampness and prohibitive heating costs.
Towards the end of the 1960s, on the request of the Corporation's Principal Architect, Knightsridge 4 was developed by the Scottish Development Department as an example of of how to build low cost, low rise accommodation. These houses, however, were built in high density courtyard patterns, which entailed views being straight into a neighbour's house. Lack of privacy, along with noise and other issues, led to difficulty in letting the dwellings. As a result vacant properties, vandalism and low level crime became problems.
Starting in the late 1970s, and continuing through to the early 1990s, the Corporation undertook major refurbishment programmes to try and remedy the issues that had arisen in Craigshill, Knightsridge, and to a lesser extent, in other areas of town. In Craigshill dwellings with flat roofs were altered to pitched roofs and damp proof coursing was installed. In Knightsridge selective demolition took place in an effort to create more space and privacy.
The housing department's involvement in these programmes stemmed from its interaction with tenants and, with its management of properties, the department was well placed to advise senior management on the reasons why housing was not being let, and what the views of the tenants and residents were.
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| ScopeandContent | 16 files relating to major refurbishment programmes in Livingston, comprising:
1-7. Files relating to issues and refurbishment programmes in the Craigshill area of Livingston, 1966-1990.
7-12. Files relating to issues and refurbishment programmes in the Knightsridge area of Livingston, 1979-1990.
13. File in which the Area Housing Officers outline their priorities for capital expenditure programmes, 1985.
14-15. Files relating to the refurbishment programme carried out to improve Kitchens in Corporation owned properties, 1985-1990.
16. File relating to reroofing in Deans South and Howden, 1992. |