This document summarizes renovation work done on Chapel Street in Evenwood, County Durham. Several properties on the street had been empty for over 5 years and were in disrepair. Through funding from the Empty Homes Community Grants Programme, Five Lamps renovated 7 homes on the street, bringing them back into use. This revived the community on the street and improved neighborhood conditions, as the street had been plagued by anti-social behavior due to the number of vacant homes. The funding was critical to enabling the rehabilitation of the homes and community on Chapel Street.

1. Chapel Street, Evenwood – September 2013

2. Properties empty for 5 years and more

3. 13 – 17 Chapel Street Now

4. Other properties external improvements

8. Inside No.9 Before

9. ………..And After

10. No.9 Kitchen Before

11. ……….And After

12. No. 9 Outside Before

13. ……….And After

14. No.17 Before……………………………And After

15. Empty Since Fire In 2010

16. Now

17. No.17 Kitchen Before

18. ………And Now

19. No.17 No Stairs…………………………………..Stairs

26. Five Lamps
•30 years of social, economic and financial inclusion
activities working with c25000 people each year
•Empty Homes a strong strategic fit but securing capital
was a challenge
•EHCGP £1.27m
•49 properties (1 purchase, 48 leases)
•Darlington & County Durham
•Opportunities for FL enterprise starts, employability
clients and young people

27. Evenwood
•Rural, former mining community in southwest of
County Durham
•Long-standing issue – failed bids previously
•9 out of 17 properties flagged up for EHCGP
•Only 3 properties being lived in
•Anti-Social Behaviour a huge issue
•October 2006 Property Selling for £65k - £71k
•Over £50k as recently as 2008
•£20k by 2011
•Guide Price £5k in 2013 Property Auction

28. • ‘I don’t walk down there any more’
• ‘Knock the bloody street down’
• ‘This used to be a lovely street’
• Considered a biomass heating system for all 17
properties
• Delivery model just didn’t stack up ….. And it set us
back by 6-8 months
• Despite everything still a challenge to get owners to
sign up

29. Result
•A revived street …… and renewed sense of
community
•We’ve done 3, 8, 9, 13, 14, 15 and 17
•Another EHCGP deliverer has done 16
•The LA cluster programme is looking to support
7 and 12
•10 and 11 have improved their external
appearance
•‘It’s nearly like it used to be’
•Without EHCGP it wouldn’t have happened
•Five Lamps has a powerful appetite to do more.