Latest news with #WheatleyGroup
Daily Record
14-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Dumfries and Galloway mum encourages people to sign up for further education bursary
Jodie Thomson is one of nearly 500 people who have benefited from Wheatley Group's bursary scheme. A Wigtownshire mum is encouraging people to sign up for a bursary that helps people study at university and college. Jodie Thomson is one of nearly 500 people who have benefited from Wheatley Group's bursary scheme. The programme is run by the social housing landlord's charitable trust, Wheatley Foundation, and offers bursaries of up to £1,500 a year for full-time students. part time students can receive up to £750. Jodie, who lives in a Wheatley Homes South property in Wigtownshire with her husband and three children, is about to complete an HNC in Childhood Practice through Dumfries and Galloway. The 37-year-old said: 'After being a stay-at-home mum, I helped out at my son's nursery and then decided to go to college to complete this course. 'I wasn't sure how we would manage, but the bursary was a great help. It helped me provide for my family while I was studying.' The Wheatley Foundation's bursary programme is open to tenants in Wheatley Homes properties in Dumfries and Galloway and will help ease the financial burden on customers facing the expense of studying. Chair of Wheatley Foundation, Professor Paddy Gray OBE, said: 'Since 2016, the scheme has helped 482 people to go on to further education and get the qualifications they need. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. 'Our bursary programme is another way Wheatley Foundation can help people in our communities achieve their dreams.'
Glasgow Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- Glasgow Times
Wheatley Group housing pilot taking place in Glasgow
The new research project, carried out by the Wheatley Group, aims to reduce energy bills and transform social housing construction. The group, in collaboration with MAST Architects and CCG, is conducting a first-of-its-kind trial at the new Shandwick Street development in Easterhouse. (Image: Supplied) Read more: Wheatley Group staff become mentors for MCR Pathways The trial involves six newly built homes, each designed, constructed, and insulated using different technology methods. The energy consumption and efficiency of these homes will be monitored over the course of a year to determine if they meet or exceed current Passivhaus standards. The results of this study will be used to help create new housing regulatory standards in Scotland. Lindsay Lauder, director of development and regeneration at Wheatley Group, said: "As the largest provider of social housing in Scotland, we have an important role to play exploring new thinking and technology to address the issue of rising fuel bills. "Each of the six properties in the research have received unique enhancements, including upgraded fabrics for insulation, enhanced levels of airtightness, and a reduction in the levels of non-repeat thermal bridging." The Scottish Government plans to introduce a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard, an international energy performance standard for buildings. (Image: Supplied) The Wheatley Group, which manages over 64,000 homes for social rent, was named the UK's biggest builder of social housing in 2024. The group and MAST Architects commissioned Dr Richard Atkins, an environmental and sustainability architect, to create a report detailing the technical standards applied to the six homes. Dr Atkins said: "The intention is that a rigorous quality assurance process is carried out during construction of the blocks, like those undertaken on Passivhaus projects, to ensure the houses are constructed as designed. "This will ensure the performance gap, which often exists between buildings as designed and constructed, is minimised and to also understand any additional requirements this poses on the project team." The six new homes are part of a larger new-build development in Easterhouse, which includes 47 new two-storey houses and cottage flats built for Wheatley Homes Glasgow, part of the Wheatley Group, for social rent. Read more: Plans for 29 affordable homes in Glasgow submitted Construction of the pilot houses was completed in March 2025. David Wylie, CCG managing director, said: "With a focus on a just net zero transition and the potential introduction of the Scottish Passivhaus Equivalent, this research is incredibly important to understanding how enhanced building standards can be practically delivered at scale, while continuing to address localised housing needs. "We share Wheatley's enthusiasm and foresight and look forward to working with them and MAST Architects in the months ahead.'
The Guardian
24-03-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
The battle for Glasgow's Wyndford estate
For nearly four years, a fierce debate raged over the future of the Wyndford estate in Glasgow, dividing residents and sparking wider national controversy. Was the demolition of its high-rises an environmental travesty or the first step toward much-needed regeneration? The dispute began in November 2021, days after the city hosted Cop26, where politicians and businesses promised to curb wasteful building destruction. Yet, residents of Wyndford soon found leaflets on their doorsteps heralding a 'bright new future' – one that involved the demolition of all four high-rise blocks on the estate. The decision set off years of protests, legal challenges and community divisions. The fight came to a head on 23 March 2025, when three of the four 1960s tower blocks were finally reduced to rubble in a controlled demolition. Wyndford estate was built between 1961 and 1969 on the site of a former military barracks. Commissioned by the Harold Macmillan government, it was intended as an exemplar of high-quality public housing, a rebuttal to Glasgow's legacy of cheap and poorly planned social accommodation. The four high-rise blocks of the Wyndford estate one week before demolition. Three blocks were demolished by controlled explosion on 23 March – – the block on the left will be brought down floor by floor owing to its proximity to other homes on the estate. But 60 years later, part of that vision had faded. Its one-bedroom high-rise flats had become synonymous with short-term tenancies, and labelled a hotspot of neglect and social deprivation. Wheatley Group, Scotland's largest landlord, argued that the blocks were no longer fit for purpose and should be replaced with modern family homes. A determined coalition of residents, activists, and conservationists, led by the Wyndford Residents Union (WRU), fiercely opposed the demolitions. At the heart of their campaign was a belief that the destruction of social housing during a housing crisis was not only irresponsible but unnecessary. Henry Mclaren, a Wyndford resident and focus group member . Despite the protests, occupations, and legal challenges, Wheatley Group remained steadfast. Aisling Mylrea, the director of Wheatley Homes Glasgow, emphasised that legal challenges had been shut down every time and that all the permissions had been in place for the demolition to go ahead. She said: 'Over 85% of the tenants of the scheme support the demolition and the £100 million investment that will follow for the area.' Henry McLaren, a Wyndford resident and member of the Future Focus Group set up by Wheatley, said: ' This will be all good for the community. The words 'focus' and 'future' are important – everyone needs to stay focused on the end goal.' Laura Jones, 38, Wyndford resident. From the outset, Wheatley Group insisted retrofitting the high-rise flats – and making them into larger homes was impossible and continually pointed to the declining popularity of high-rise social housing. However, many campaigners disputed the claim that retrofitting was unviable. A coalition of architects, conservationists and engineers conducted studies suggesting the buildings could have been modernised and repurposed. Malcolm Fraser, a leading architect and campaigner, also called into question the 85% support figure cited for demolition, arguing that no alternative to demolition was ever seriously presented. 'That number reflects only the few hundred tenants who responded, and they were never given the option of retrofitting,' he said. Caz, a resident and member of Wyndford Residents Union As the demolition date approached, tensions mounted. For many residents, the stark reality of the controlled explosions in their neighbourhood took centre stage. Fears of further protests and block occupations prompted demolition contractors to station 24-hour security at the entrance to each tower. Residents living near the demolition site expressed concerns for their homes, and were angered after being offered a £100 Tesco voucher as compensation for vacating their properties for up to 10 hours on the day of the blast. Angie Thompson, a Wyndford resident. Wheatley Group assured the residents that all safety measures had been met, stating: 'Safedem are world-leading demolition contractors. They have carried out similar demolitions worldwide, ensuring all asbestos and hazardous materials were removed in advance.' Nick Durie, an Alba party politician and member of the Wyndford Residents Union. Wheatley Group says it wants to replace the 600 one-bedroom and bedsit flats with 400 new family homes, citing an urgent need for larger modern housing in Glasgow. Yet campaigners remain unconvinced that this will truly benefit the community, given the overall reduction in social housing units. As the dust settled on demolition day, Nick Durie, an Alba politician and WRU member, made it clear that the battle was far from over. 'This isn't the end – it's just the beginning. Our fight will continue long after the demolition. We will protest and challenge every stage of the new development until they commit to replacing all 600 social homes they've torn down. Beyond the loss of homes, the demolition has drawn criticism from climate activists and architects alarmed by the environmental toll. With an estimated 47,000 tonnes of embodied carbon wasted in the demolition process, some argue that the destruction contradicts the climate commitments made at the UN climate conference Cop26. William Doolan, a Wyndford resident. Fraser summed up the frustration: 'I know that every building we put up today will last about 40 years. These flats, if properly retrofitted, could have lasted for centuries. We need to stop this cycle of waste and destruction.' A UK-wide policy that exempts new-builds and demolitions from VAT has only reinforced the preference for demolition over retrofitting. Critics warn that without policy changes, the cycle will continue: 'Big business thrives on knocking down old buildings, landfilling them and starting again. And so it goes on and on.' The four high-rise blocks of the Wyndford estate one week before demolition Three of Wyndford's towers have now been reduced to rubble, joining the many high-rise schemes that have vanished from Glasgow's skyline. Yet the battle over their legacy – debates on the environmental cost of demolition and the future of social housing – remains far from settled. The lost view over the city from one of the blocks demolished on the 23 March.
