Charity lodges hostel bid

Mar 9 2010 by Andy Newport, Paisley Daily Express

KIDS from troubled backgrounds are building on a new future.

They hope to work hard and help turn an eyesore building into attractive new homes.

And the bid has taken a step forward after developers lodged a planning bid.

Kibble Construction Ltd – a social-enterprise charity Launched to work with youngsters from troubled backgrounds – hopes to renovate the derelict former hostel at Richmond Drive in the North Clippens area of Linwood.

And the project will breathe new life into the building, creating a number of family homes.

The charity will give their young apprentices the chance to put something back into their local community by helping out with the refurb work – which will transform the dilapidated building that has been a target for vandals.

Eventually five excellent new terraced houses will be created.

They will be given practical training by experienced tradesmen throughout the project.

Mark Macmillan of Kibble Education and Care Centre – who run Kibble Construction – said: “Kibble is delighted and this project will provide training and employment to many young people as well as contributing five much-needed family homes.”

The former hostel had 12 beds and provided residential and respite accommodation for people with learning difficulties.

However, it was unable to provide users with personal privacy and also presented access problems, especially for wheelchair users.

In 2004 it was decided to close the hostel and to develop it as a group of wheelchair accessible and amenity flats “sometime in the future”.

The twelve residents were moved out and into their own homes with dedicated support staff supplied by voluntary organisations Enable and Turning Point Scotland.

Arrangements were also made for caring and catering staff at the hostel to be deployed to other jobs within Renfrewshire Council.

However, the scheme to convert the flats fell through and in 2007 Renfrewshire Council offered the now-derelict converted row of terraced homes for sale as a potential residential development opportunity without success.

It was put on the market again in May of last year and it now looks as if something positive is about to come out of it this time round.