Building Briefs – April 18th

Aberdeenshire Council’s latest new-build development has been completed with 16 affordable homes in Inverurie now ready for occupation.

The development at North Street, a mix of one and two-bedroom flats for rent, was handed over to the council by contractor Bancon Homes, which designed and built the development on behalf.

The project was funded through the Scottish Government’s Council New Build Grant, along with Aberdeenshire Council funding.

Work began on the site in March last year, with the properties handed over to the local authority earlier this month.

North Street, Inverurie, is part of the sixth phase of Aberdeenshire Council’s new build programme, which will see around 130 new council-owned affordable homes built across Aberdeenshire during 2017-2019.

Other developments in the programme include properties at Laurencekirk, Oldmeldrum, Peterhead, Turriff, Huntly and Fraserburgh.

Ribbon cut on new Raploch homes

The latest batch of new affordable homes were opened in Stirling yesterday at the Royal Park View development in Raploch.

Local councillors, tenants and invited guests attended the official ribbon cutting ceremony, following the completion of 20 new properties for Stirling Council tenants.

The housing project, which was supported by £1,140,000 of Scottish Government grant funding, comprises eight one and two-bedroom cottage flats as well as 12 two, three and four-bedroom semi-detached houses.

The mixed tenure development was constructed by Cruden Homes and also boasts 24 social rented homes for Forth Housing Association, as well as 50 houses and flats for private sale.

In 2018, the council has already completed eight new homes at Riverside. It will also build four new homes on the site of the former Fire Station in Callander and convert the former Local Office in Fallin into four new apartments.

Stirling Council’s recent development at Norrieston Glebe, Thornhill was shortlisted as a finalist in the Scottish Home Awards 2017 ‘Small Affordable Housing Development of the Year’ category.

Partick Housing Association offers building opportunity to young tenants

Partick Housing Association has teamed up with construction firm City Building to offer a taster session for its Apprenticeship 2018 programme.

The session took place this week and gave candidates the chance to learn more about what is involved in undertaking an Apprenticeship.

Aimed at those aged between 16 and 19, the Apprenticeships are an opportunity to develop skills in practical trades including joinery, painting and decorating, gas and electrical. Candidates were able to try out some of these skills at the taster session.

Six wheelchair friendly homes built in Inverness

Work on six new homes suitable for wheelchair users in Inverness is now complete.

Tenants have now moved into their new homes on Old Edinburgh Road, which comprise five semi-detached single-storey houses and two bungalows.

The £846,000 development was built by O’Brien Properties, which started construction work on site in March last year. The homes feature wider doors and halls, level access showers and height adjustable wash hand basins, sinks and worktops suitable for a hob and an oven housing which can accommodate a traditional oven or a microwave at waist height.

In addition, the living areas have full height windows and glazed doors that open out onto a back patio and provide unimpeded views from a seated position, while each property also has its own loc-bloc driveway to provide parking close to the front door. A roof overhang has also been developed to provide shelter from the rain.

The houses are also well insulated and have gas combi boilers which provide instant hot water and heating, while photo-voltaic panels on the roof generate electricity to keep the tenants’ fuel costs low.

Up to £342,000 of grant funding was provided by the Scottish Government towards the scheme.

Highland village in line for housing boom

The population of the Highland village of Evanton could potentially double in the coming years after Highland councillors approved plans for a 160-home development and were informed of another development of 150 new homes in the pipeline.

Building firm Makar Limited is to build the mix of semi-detached, terraced and town house properties on the north east side of the village.

Makar managing director Neil Sutherland said the 160-home development was first tabled in August 2009, but the effect of the global economic recession on the property market in the Highlands delayed construction.

Mr Sutherland said there will also be opportunities for a new shop or small businesses as part of the development.

The first phase will involve building 30 houses, with a total of another six or seven phases, he added.

Highland Council’s north planning applications committee was also notified of plans for 150 new homes on the west side of the village proposed by the Highland Housing Alliance (HHA).

More detailed plans for this project are expected to be submitted to the council at a later date.

Evanton is currently home to just over 1,100 people – and the population could theoretically double if all the properties are built and filled with families.

HHA will be holding a drop-in session for their development at Diamond Jubilee Hall in Evanton from 12pm to 4pm on April 21, allowing the public to discuss proposals with the design team.

A public exhibition will also be held at the Cornerstone Cafe in Evanton during normal opening hours, between April 23 and April 27.

Third time lucky for Perth flats plan

A construction firm has secured permission to build three blocks of flats on land near McDiarmid Park in Perth at the third time of asking.

GS Brown scrapped two previous plans to transform an acre of vacant land off Allison Crescent after opposition from residents.

A third bid saw the scale of the project reduced from 27 flats to 26 and the layout altered.

Now councillors have voted to grant planning consent.

A GS Brown spokeswoman said the flats were aimed at helping first-time buyers get on the property ladder.