A brief history

In 1993 Cordale Housing Association was formed and completed their first stock transfer of local authority properties and in 1995 started the first phase of a social housing development programme which, over the next 15 years, was to radically transform Renton.

At the time Renton was one of the most deprived communities in Scotland being at the wrong end of most quality of life indicators. Yet a small group of neighbours in the village wanted to create something better for future generations and together they have worked tirelessly to make that vision a reality.

It was this vision that resulted in CHA being established and governed from the outset by the ethos of community involvement at every level of planning and construction. The Association has always seen its role as more than merely housing developers – they are also responsible for building communities.

In 2000 Renton was chosen by Communities Scotland as a Community Planning Pilot area, this interagency approach saw substantial investment in the village.

Three years later, recognising the need to invest in the community while also planning for a future without government funding, Cordale established two subsidiary organisations. Cordale Support Services was established to enable 50 older Rentonians to continue living independently within their community while Capital (Property & Support) Enterprises Ltd became the commercial property development arm of the Cordale Group.

In its first operational year this social business built a new supermarket for the village replacing a dilapidated row of shop fronts and by 2006 had completed the construction of an Integrated Healthy Living Centre in Renton with all the profits from the lease of these buildings being channelled back into a wide range of community projects.

Cordale continued to punch above its weight in 2006 with the acquisition of the 30 acre Dalquhurn site - the biggest land purchase by a sole housing association in Scotland. The Association’s five-year plan is still on course to transform this contaminated brownfield site into a mixed development of private and affordable social housing.

In January 2009 the Cordale Group realised another community aspiration with the opening of the 40-unit Extra Care Housing building providing individual apartments plus communal living space for older people.

As the physical development of Renton continued to grow CHA never lost sight of the need to invest in the social and cultural infrastructure of the village, keeping villagers involved with every phase of development.

Over the years CHA has had a close working relationship with the Carman Centre and more recently the Renton Community Development Trust (RCDT). Like Cordale, these independently run organisations are managed by voluntary Management Committees and work together to meet the varied social needs of the local community.

The Carman Centre has provided Renton with a community café, senior citizens’ lunch club, a Breakfast Club, computer facilities plus a base for community groups and activities such as the Wee Kindo Theatre Company, the local Credit Union. Today it is contracted by Cordale to run the Extra Care Housing.

The RCDT was established in 2004 to invest in the people of the village, providing training, encourage even greater community participation and liaise with national bodies such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation to create a self-sufficient, thriving and prosperous community that is not dependent on government grants

This community-led development strategy has proved a resounding success and gained local, national and international recognition from politicians, academics, funding bodies and public, private and voluntary sector organisations. It has also ensured that Cordale is in the position that it is in today where it is posed to bid to for the partial stock transfer of property from  West Dunbartonshire Council.