Project of the week

Dating from circa 1800, the C-listed Grapes Hotel in the outstanding conservation area of Whithorn, a Royal Burgh town, had long served the local community as a thriving hotel. However, its decline since the 1950s and subsequent closure in 1990 left a derelict space within a lengthy uniform Georgian street frontage. The building was saved from demolition in the 1990s and benefitted from external fabric repairs under a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme in 2009, however, a new use was needed.

A Housing Needs Assessment undertaken by South of Scotland Community Housing showed high demand for affordable housing, particularly from young families who were migrating away from the historic core of the town due to high costs of heating historic terraced housing.

The project not only delivered two three-bed affordable homes, but it also challenged the link between older buildings and fuel poverty. As a shell building, there was a chance to prove that retrofitting can elevate the energy performance of a Georgian building close to Passivhaus standards. The project completed in early 2022 and a further phase will develop additional new build units to the rear.

“I grew up hearing wonderful/happy stories from my Granny, as she worked in “The Grapes”, so when my kids and I got the opportunity to live in here, it brought back fond memories. I am very thankful for my tenancy at “The Grapes”, it’s a beautiful home. The restoration of the building was an exciting time for the community - firstly, to be able to offer two local families affordable housing, and, secondly, to improve the aesthetic of the Main Street after the building being derelict for so many years. Restoring the building I am sure took a lot of work behind the scenes, and determination and resilience from the team of volunteers. That sums up Whithorn - great community spirit.”

Tenant

“Living opposite the building was actually quite depressing, as it’s the first thing we saw every morning. The fact that the windows were covered with metal grills made a wonderful target for the local footballers, which also made our lives a misery. It became a place for local youths to congregate as the building was empty, and it made us and other residents feel a bit unsafe as sometimes the groups were large and noisy. To have this beautiful building restored not only improved the lives of its neighbours, but also provided local people with a safe new home, therefore enriching the whole community.”

Local resident