Historic village buildings in Renfrewshire receive six-figure investment

Historic buildings in Renfrewshire’s villages are benefitting from a £250,000 investment from Renfrewshire Council.

Open to owners of village buildings built in 1945 or before, the scheme aims to support projects at listed properties, those on the Buildings at Risk Register, or those within a village conservation area, as well as others presented to the council’s Regeneration team.

Owners were able to apply for a Maintenance Planning Grant where a conservation-accredited professional advisor will undertake an external survey and prepare a costed maintenance plan for a privately owned historic property – with up to £1,500 available per property.

Repairs grants of up to 60% of costs for projects up to £8,000 and 50% for higher value repairs were also available, with roof and window repairs being the most common application.

To date, 19 grants have been offered for repairs totalling £186,000, with 11 further offers pending additional information being supplied by applicants, and 8 maintenance planning grants have been accepted by owners.

One of the projects supported by the scheme includes 57 and 59 High Street in Lochwinnoch who received a maintenance planning grant, and subsequently a repairs grant, for the roof of their building which is in a conservation area.

One of the owners, Jennifer McKernan-Malcolm, said: “The Maintenance Planning Grant has been a great help. We were able to enlist an architect who advised us on a schedule for repairs, associated costs and materials that would be sympathetic to the conservation elements of the project. It’s helped us budget appropriately, and we knew exactly what we need to ask for when seeking quotes from tradespeople. We’re looking forward to the roof undergoing much-needed repairs.”

The Historic Buildings in Villages Grants scheme focuses on preserving and enhancing the historic built environment in Renfrewshire’s villages, complementing the existing Villages Investment Fund, to support projects which strengthen the character, identity and heritage of Renfrewshire’s village communities.

In aligning with the Council’s Villages Investment Fund, the Historic Buildings in Villages Grants scheme has been available to property owners in Bishopton, Bridge of Weir, Brookfield, Crosslee, Elderslie, Houston, Howwood, Inchinnan, Kilbarchan, Langbank and Lochwinnoch.

Councillor Andy Steel, Convener of Renfrewshire Council’s Economy and Regeneration Policy Board, said: “I’m delighted with the uptake of the grant scheme throughout our local villages and the investment will make a real difference to our historic buildings.

“Supporting owners to make essential repairs recognises the historical importance of the buildings to the local area. Owners were also able to access grants for a costed maintenance plan which will be essential to ensuring their building doesn’t deteriorate and its history is maintained for the local community.

“I’m looking forward to seeing the full grant allocation awarded and the work taking place as we continue to try to preserve and enhance our historic built environment in Renfrewshire.”

As the grant scheme has been oversubscribed, the council are looking to provide alternative funding where possible to ensure that essential projects can be supported and discussions are taking place to identify if future editions of the fund can be undertaken.