Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
NLC’s towering achievement is up for a prize
North Lanarkshire’s tower block demolition consultation process has been shortlisted for a housing industry award.
The programme is nominated in the “ambitious towns in communication” category at the Chartered Institute of Housing awards – where the council has secured a hat-trick of nominations.
Its antisocial response service is shortlisted for customer service excellence, while dementia project Designing for Health is nominated in the health and wellbeing section.
Residents in 900 households at the 18 Monklands tower blocks included in the planned first phase of the council’s demolition project were among those receiving hand-delivered information packs earlier this year.
North Lanarkshire officials announced last December that the authority intends to demolish all 48 of its high-rise blocks over the next two decades – with phase one set to include Coatbridge blocks High Coats and Dunbeth and Jackson Courts; Campsie, Cheviot, Etive, Ettrick, Fintry, Killin, Nevis, Pentland, Sidlaw, Striven and Tinto blocks in Shawhead; plus Northburn Place and Cheviot, Merrick and Pentland Courts in Airdrie.
Council officials said of the nomination:“These plans affect residents’lives in a very real way; it was essential we engaged fully to ensure support and by consulting with the initial 1600 homes we received vital, informed views before approval was granted.”
Improvements to the antisocial response service include introducing a 24-hour central telephone reporting service, plus dedicated investigation teams and schools education programmes.
Designing for Health uses dementia design principles to improve both new and existing council housing to best meet the needs of people with dementia or other complex health needs, and involves teaming up with health and social care staff plus charities and tenants for work including“future-proofing”homes and reducing the need for adaptions.
North Lanarkshire head of housing Stephen Llewellyn said:“Residents are at the heart of everything we do; it’s great being recognised for good practice, but it’s even more satisfying knowing they’re receiving first-class services.”
“I want to recognise staff working in these areas for their continued hard work and dedication to bring improvements to local people and communities.”