Residents living in Glasgow's 'lost village' express fury at council who 'haven't kept their promises'

In 2002 the tiny south side area of First, Second, Third and Fourth Gardens in Dumbreck, was deemed a Conservation Area.

But local delight has turned to frustration and anger as promises made, they claim, have not materialised.

They claim they have not received grant funding they are entitled to and that Glasgow City Council has not processed planning applications correctly.

Derek Maclean, chairman of the Hazelwood Residents Association, said: “We didn’t ask for conservation status - we were approached by the council’s heritage and design department.

“They promised us funding to keep our properties at the standards required for a conservation area and various other things such as a plaque and new street lighting.

“These have never materialised.”

The Evening Times told in May 2002 of residents’ delight as the area was designated a conservation area by the council’s department of heritage and design.

Resident Elsie Corney described the 36 bungalows at the time as “like Brigadoon.”

Glasgow housebuilder George Hamilton, who built many of the villas in Pollokshields and Dumbreck, bought much of the land of Hazelwood House, which is now a listed building, in 1913.

He laid out First, Second, Third and Fourth Gardens, which lead off Dumbreck Avenue.

He then gave two different house designs for prospective buyers to choose from - the Dovecote and the Neidpath, which are the houses on the site today.

Mr Hamilton also had the foresight to build all homes with electricity for the first time in Scotland.

The community was nicknamed The Electric Suburb.

Hazelwood House was bought in 2008 by the Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation (DHEF), a religious education charity whose spiritual work is carried out by Opus Dei, the branch of the Catholic Church.

A design statement from May 9, 2008, from architect Anne Dickinson states the charity will restore and maintain the building while hosting events and open days.

Currently, Hazelwood House offers retreats, workshops and children’s groups.

One six-day workshop, SMART, is aimed at professional women with classes such as cookery skills, image tips and “how to be happy waiting for Mr Right.”

Locals say they are angry that Hazelwood House was given public funding while their requests for help with renovations have been refused.

Glasgow City Heritage Trust, a charity supported by Glasgow City Council, is responsible for giving grants.

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Heritage Trust said that, since the organisation was founded in 2007, it has invested £16,164 in building repairs in Hazelwood.

She would not say how much grant money had been awarded to Hazelwood House.

Dawliffe’s accounts for 2012, the year the building was refurbished, show that Hazelwood House received £5,100 in grants, although it does not specify from where the money was donated.

Calls to Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation (DHEF) were not returned.

Conservation Area status brings with it stricter planning requirements but residents claim the council has passed planning applications that it should not.

Both applications relate to one property in the village: one is from March 2017 for UPVC windows and another, granted in 2012, is for a single-storey extension to the property. Building works were begun in 2011 but have never been completed.

Mr Maclean claims neither of these meet the strict criteria for the conservation area.

The resident’s association has now gathered a petition, signed by almost all households in the village, and are taking their complaint to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on Friday.

The residents association’s complaint is also now with the The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman (SPSO).

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said discussions around street lighting and a plaque were “advisory”.

He added: “Works were started earlier this year to implement the planning permission [from 2012] and these have been monitored with regular visits and discussions with the builder.

“Mr MacLean’s complaint regarding his perceived failure to take enforcement action has been addressed through the Council’s complaints handling procedure.

“In the meantime the works continue to be monitored.”