Home » Bellsmyre Regeneration Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, where we’ve compiled answers to address common queries and concerns you may have. This page is designed to provide you with clear and concise information regarding the Bellsmyre Regeneration Project. This page will continue to be updated as the project progresses, with questions and responses continually reviewed and refreshed to ensure the information provided is accurate and up-to-date.

If you can’t find the answer you’re looking for here, please contact the Regeneration Co-ordinator for further assistance.

FAQs Decanted Tenants

Our original proposed plans included a mix of flats and houses in varying sizes. Our revised plans will continue to have a good housing mix in style and size including flats and houses, to meet the needs of the community. 

We understand that household needs change over time, family size, or medical needs. If you have any changes in your housing needs which your current accommodation does not meet, then contact our Regeneration Co-Ordinator who will assist in discussing your housing options. 

In principle yes, this is the way in which we would allocate the new homes, decanted tenants having priority. The exception to this would be if the property to meet your household needs was not yet available. 

There are a number of complex factors involved in developing new homes which rely on other agencies.  As a result, timescales are often out with our control.  A general expectation the time taken to build new developments would be between 12 to 18 months. 

We are keen to keep our tenants up to date on progress and would aim to do this at any significant milestones in progress or delay. We use letters, newsletters, email, telephone, and text messages to communicate, depending on the information we have and the most appropriate way to provide this.  

FAQs Phase 3 Tenants

Our preferred option is always to reduce the level of disruption to you that regeneration creates, and we would prefer to move you to your new home directly. Unfortunately, the development and regeneration process of clearance, demolition and new build can require a temporary decant being the best option in order that we can free up the land to build the new homes on.  

We will continue to ensure that your home is wind and watertight and that the buildings remain safe for you. As the property is due to be demolished, we will not be carrying out any high value planned works. 

We are required to be clearing homes aligned to our programme and we will prioritise this to allow new build homes to progress as quickly as possible. If you have any particular concerns regarding your current home, please contact our Regeneration Co-ordinator who can provide more information, updates and housing options.  

We have a robust procedure in place to deal with any damp and mould issues in our properties. If you have any concerns, these should be reported via our Connect App or through our Customer Service Team, where we will ask questions about the issue and if required, a visit will be arranged, and appropriate action taken.

We will continue to ensure that your home is wind and watertight and that the buildings remain safe for you, so repairs will be carried out to do this. As the property is due to be demolished, we will not be carrying out any high value planned works.  

Whilst the regeneration programme is ongoing, we are required to continue to deliver services to you, which include day to day repairs, common energy costs, insurance, staffing costs and other costs required to deliver the new homes.  

Yes. We are monitoring the grounds maintenance around the empty flats to ensure that required works are attended to, whilst being mindful of how much is being spent on areas that are due to be demolished very soon. 

FAQs Phase 3 Owners

We will continue to ensure that your building is wind and watertight and that the buildings remain safe for you. As the property is due to be demolished, we will not be carrying out any high value planned or cyclical works. 

Yes. Whilst the regeneration programme is ongoing, we need to ensure that the building is wind and watertight and remains safe, so any repairs needed to do this will be carried out. 

The value of your property is determined by the independent District Valuer and statutory guidance says that we can only pay the price set by an independent valuer. 

FAQs BISF tenants

Our main focus remains to improve the energy efficiency of the BISF homes, although at this stage we are unsure what these improvements will include. Any improvements that are made will be done in a way that means any changes we make now can be added to in the future.  

Any improvements agreed upon, may require some internal works. We will also be reviewing our planned maintenance requirements to see if any planned works, such as replacing kitchens and bathrooms can be brought forward. When we know what improvements can be made, we will be able to confirm any internal work that might be needed. 

We are hoping to have the revised proposals for your home in around June. At this stage we will be able to confirm if new kitchens will be included in the work planned, so any plans to carry out work should wait until after this.  

Until we have the revised proposals, we are unable to confirm whether tenants will have to be temporarily decanted. When we have a clear understanding of the work required, we will know whether decants will be required, or not.

Yes, you are able to do minor decoration works in your home. However, we are still some months away from receiving the revised proposals and getting the necessary approvals to start work, so at this stage we do not know the impact these works would have on your home. 

At the moment we need to agree on the work that will be carried out. Until then we do not know how long work on each property will take. We would also be unable to start work on all properties at the same time, but our aim would for disruption to be kept to a minimum and work to be completed in the shortest time possible. 

We will continue to carry out essential day to day repairs that are required, such as plumbing and electrical work. We will not carry out significant repairs that are likely to be addressed as part of the improvements planned. We will, however, consider each repair reported on a case by case basis, so please continue to report these to our Customer Services Team. 

We will continue to carry out day to day repairs that are required for windows and doors, and we will inspect any reported repairs to determine what is the best solution to keep your home wind and watertight.

Our planned works are being designed to improve the energy efficiency of your property. This is because we understand that the property is difficult to heat. If you want to be considered for a move to a different property, please complete a housing application form and discuss your requirements and housing needs with our Regeneration Co-Ordinator. You could also widen your housing options by applying to West Dunbartonshire Council and other Housing Associations.