alterations. A design guide was produced for house owners explaining features and details which were important to the character of the houses. In order to ensure that residents and owners would not have to bear the additional cost of restoring .the external features a five year Section 10 scheme with grants from the Department of Environment was negotiated. Such grants are calculated to reflect the additional costs of using historic materials and details, and supplement the Housing Act grants without double counting. The scheme has been fully supported by the Historic Building and Monuments Commission since 1984. The average cost of a full improvement and restoration scheme on a single house in the area was around £16,000 in 1984. The average Section 10 grant for such a scheme was approximately £2,000. A number of properties had been improved before the scheme started and some of the original features, such as doors and windows, had already been altered. The Section 10 grant scheme, together with matching grants from the City Council, encouraged the owners of these properties to re-instate the original features. In two cases this involved building 'dummy' chimney stacks. The two social centres of the Victorian community have also been included in the general enhancement of the area. The Albion Public House has had it's original appearance restored by its brewery owners, encouraged by a token conservation grant. In particular, external soil pipes have been removed from the front elevation and etched glass inserted in the windows. The Welsh Congregational Chapel had been struggling with a small congregation for many years, and was in a poor state of repair, with extensive dry rot. Part of the church was used by the St John Ambulance Brigade, who purchased the building in 1985 and carried out an extensive repair scheme with the help of a Section 10 grant. They intend to convert it into a first aid training centre, with exhibition and lecture rooms. The funds available for environmental improvements in the Housing Action Area have been concentrated on restoring the original appearance of the streets. Pavement surfaces have been restored with original materials, a communal television aerial has been installed and telephone wires undergrounded. These works also received Section 10 grants from the Commission. The effective re-creation of an "historic environment" will be completed by the restoration of the street surfaces in sandstone setts. As a result of the City Council's sustained promotion of the scheme over the past five years there has been a dramatic change in the area, both socially and environmentally. There is confidence in the future and a pride in living in what was once a neglected corner of the city. The quality of the area is readily appreciated by residents and by visitors passing along the city wall nearby. The 'conservation approach' to housing improvement has been a success and the City Council are already involved in a similar scheme in another area. Albion St Welsh Congregational Chapel Page 7
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