Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI)

During the 19th century, the Stonehouse area of Plymouth became a popular residential area for naval officers. The buildings are largely late Georgian terraces. The high quality of the built heritage was recognised by three conservation areas designated soon after the Civic Amenities Act in 1967. Stonehouse is on the city centre fringe, in a part of Plymouth that survived some of the heaviest bombing of World War II.

Plymouth is the second biggest city in the South West after Bristol. In recent decades, the gradual closure of the dockyard, which provided the city’s economic basis, has had a marked impact. Stonehouse suffered significant economic problems, and many of its historic buildings became neglected, underused and derelict. According to the 1991 census, Stonehouse had the lowest percentage of owner-occupied housing in the city, the second highest percentage of local authority housing and the highest percentage of housing association residency. In 2000, unemployment was more than twice the national average, with incomes well below the regional and national average.

In September 1999 Plymouth City Council was awarded a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £500,000 towards a THI scheme covering six conservation areas in Stonehouse. The THI ran concurrently with other regeneration initiatives in this area of the city, principally funded through the EU Objective 2 programme and Single Regeneration Budget (SRB). The Stonehouse Area Regeneration Forum was set up to co-ordinate regeneration in the neighbourhood. Consisting of 20-40 representatives of businesses, interest groups and residents, it has proved highly effective in consulting local views and disseminating information.

The first phase of THI was very successful, with demand for grants outstripping the available budget. Despite this success, there remained a clear need for further investment in the area’s built heritage as part of the wider regeneration programme, and the city council applied for a second phase of THI funding.

Phase 1 of the THI focused on building projects crossing the housing and economic sectors. These projects have had a very positive impact on the areas concerned. Phase 2 aimed to focus on repairs to buildings at risk that needed less public investment.

Phase 2 of the THI led on directly from the earlier scheme. It operates in the same area and is run by the same team. The partnership consists of European Regional Development Fund (Objective 2), South West Regional Development Agency, English Partnerships and the Plymouth Empty Houses Partnership.

What difference does the project make?

The THI (phases 1 and 2) has successfully combined social, commercial and heritage elements. It has embraced new stakeholders, such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, the Local Transport Plan, English Partnerships and Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme, who were not initially part of the project. These stakeholders have enabled the community to play a significant role in finding viable solutions to the problem of underused and derelict historic buildings and the public realm.

Strong working relationships between housing associations, private landlords, community organisations and the THI partnership have made several difficult projects possible. For example, phase 1 of the THI brought about the reuse of three empty homes, providing 10 new housing units. Such housing projects have helped to reduce the number of empty private-sector homes and to improve the urban environment.

Similarly, phase 1 supported seven individual commercial building projects with a rich range of business types. The transformation of the street frontages has provided a catalyst for inward investment, with private businesses now investing in their own premises without recourse to grant aid.

The range of public realm projects developed as a result of the THI has led to a more confident approach to addressing neighbourhood needs where objectives of  better service delivery needs to be weighed up  against the physical interventions of integrating buildings and their uses with the street and bringing the street back to the people. The newly set up Stonehouse Action community organisation has increased the capacity of the local community to participate in local decision making, the design of the projects and their positive impact.

How did the project meet the THI criteria?

The project met our Townscape Heritage Initiative criteria because it:

• helped to regenerate an historic area;
• addressed problems in an area of social and economic need;
• was based on a partnership; and
• improved the quality of life for people in the area.

The THI Project Manager, comments:

We’ve been particularly successful in bringing together different funding streams in the regeneration of a single area. If your main regeneration project is a THI, make sure that it meets the criteria of the other funders who may contribute to the common fund. Be innovative! For example, we have made improvements to the public realm, funded from other sources, such as the Local Transport Plan, Neighbourhood Renewal Fund and English Partnerships which contribute to the regeneration of the built heritage.

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