The First Regeneration Scheme
This background of social and economic decline sparked the first attempt to reverse the trend, with the creation of the Portland Gardens Co-operative in 1978. Started by local residents determined to safeguard their future and the future of the community, this project aimed to commence community-based regeneration by redeveloping five sites around Portland Gardens to build 130 new homes, and a 36-unit refurbished sheltered housing scheme. The Co-operative was a response to plans drawn up by Liverpool City Council to clear the old decayed tenements and to disperse the population living in them throughout Merseyside: the desire to keep the community together and strong was a key driving force behind the development.
