A block of shops on Broomton Road in Balornock, North East Glasgow, stands starkly at the heart of a community that has seen much regeneration. 

Despite the presence of Neilson Butchers, an award-winning and long-standing local favourite and a friendly Post Office, the properties above and the neighbouring former Broomton Road community centre are boarded up and empty – a happy home for none but the pigeons. The building has largely been stripped of the life, character and spirit such a revitalised area deserves.

But this eyesore presents an opportunity – a building with the potential to become a community hub that locals can once more take pride in.

Regeneration

The building is central to Homes for Good’s commitment to revitalising empty properties. The initiative aims to restore four derelict homes for families at the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rent level, rejuvenate vacant retail spaces and create land for community use.

Join us as we document the Broomton Road project, tracking the highs, lows, stumbling blocks and stepping stones of what Barry Sweeney, our Head of Acquisitions and Development, calls “the ultimate Empty Homes project”.

Community Voices

Ross Neilson, owner of Neilson Butchers, has witnessed countless changes since he opened Neilson Butchers in 1988. 

“It’s been a damn shame that those four flats have lain empty for all these years because there was no need for it. And then the doos [pigeons] got in,” he says.

Next door, Taz, owner of the Post Office, echoes this sentiment while expressing optimism for the future.

“I’ve been here twenty years. It was buzzing, but it’s died down a lot since then, which is a shame – it’s a state.”

“But the potential is huge. I’d like to see a café or some community space next door like they used to have – it could be a great space for families.”

The Building

In 2023, Homes for Good acquired four flats at 46 Broomton Road and the Community Hall at 40 Broomton Road from the Home Group for £50,000. 

The site has a disused community hall on street level and four residential flats (three two-bedroom flats and one three-bedroom flat) on the first floor. They have all been empty since 2015 and require significant refurbishment, not helped by the aforementioned pigeons that have eagerly set up home. 

“We’ve never tackled a project of this size before,” he says. “To knock off four flats plus the space on the ground floor is an exciting proposition. However, it’s not going to be a smooth ride. There are going to be challenges along the way. 

“The scary dolls and pigeons are the least of our worries.”

The Vision

Our plan for Broomton Road involves transforming the flats into family homes and repurposing the former community hall into a design hub, community space and a base for Homes for Good Recycling. 

We’re also exploring the possibility of turning 4,000 sq ft of land at the back of the building into a community garden, while the shopfronts will be upgraded and given a new lease of life. 

Above all, we are committed to following a net-zero refurbishment approach to regenerate this focal-point building in Balornock, for locals to once more take pride in. 

Support and Funding

In late 2024, Homes for Good partnered with Glasgow Credit Union to provide sustainable, high-quality housing for low-income individuals and families in Glasgow and neighbouring areas. A portion of Glasgow Credit Union’s £2.4m corporate loan will help drive the initial stages of the Broomton Road project, with further avenues for funding also being explored. 

“We have some of the funding in place, but we need to build on it,” says Barry. “We’ve talked about perhaps doing half the building and getting two of the flats generating funding – get it up and running that way.”

The extent of the financial needs becomes clear when you calculate the costs required to make the flats habitable. The roof – while salvageable – will cost over £10,000. The flat roof at the rear of the building also presents a challenge. It needs to be stripped back to get to the bottom of what’s underneath, at a cost of at least £30,000. Furthermore, the single-glazed windows throughout the property must be replaced, leading to further costs.

“In our initial discussions with the architects, we asked for an amazing green turnkey – £2m was mentioned for the whole lot,” says Barry.

“That doesn’t stack for us, but we weren’t taken aback by that. We envision bringing it back to life for less than half a million,” he says.

As Barry puts it, these early stages represent a “spreadsheet exercise” aimed at successfully planning and implementing this 10-year [check] empty homes project.

“The end game is we’re going to get four empty homes back on the market, but there are many different approaches we need to take to get the best possible value.”

Looking Ahead

As a typically rainy Glasgow winter gives way to welcome spring sunshine, the Homes for Good team continues to clear the properties ready for work to begin, while Barry and the team formulate a plan for the work ahead. 

At the end of another visit, Barry removes his hard hat, mask and gloves and looks up at the boarded-up building. 

Stay tuned to this blog to follow our journey and keep track of our progress.