Building Briefs – August 22nd

LAR Housing Trust secures ‘game-changing’ £65m funding boost

LAR Housing Trust has secured £65 million of funding to boost its portfolio of mid-market rental properties across Scotland.

Arranged by Bank of Scotland Commercial Real Estate through its partnership with Scottish Widows, the private finance deal has been described by LAR’s chairman as a “game-changer” for the housing charity as it aims to supply approximately 1,000 new homes across Scotland.

Dunfermline-based LAR launched in October 2015 with the aim of helping an increasing number of tenants across Scotland who neither qualify for social housing nor can afford rents in the private sector.

The funding package is the latest in a series of deals arranged by Bank of Scotland in the affordable housing market in Scotland.

LAR already has a portfolio of over 200 homes across nine different sites with many further projects in construction. The initial emphasis was on the Aberdeen and Lothian areas, which were considered most in need of quality affordable homes, but the organisation has completed developments in both Glasgow and Fife with proposals also under consideration in many other areas across Scotland.

Historic design patent for His Majesty’s Theatre

The iconic His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen has been presented with a historical patent for the design of the building.

Frank Matcham, the renowned theatre architect, patented a new design in 1903, which was eventually used in the HMT’s construction.

The new theatre design allowed the venue’s circles to be supported by fewer pillars and this led to audience members on the lower tiers having a better view of the stage, compared to arenas designed before that time.

Kingdom builds on firm foundations in Clackmannanshire

Kingdom Housing Association has completed 69 houses across Clackmannanshire in the last 18 months and is poised to deliver a further 31 affordable homes for social rent when current construction completes on the Association’s site at Delph Road, Tullibody.

Kingdom recently completed 16 homes at Primrose Place, Alloa, for mid-market rent and priority for the new two-bedroomed flats is given to eligible applicants, who are likely to be employed and find it difficult to access other housing tenures.

The Scottish Government provided Kingdom with around £3.5m funding to support development of Primrose Place and Delph Road, Tullibody Phase 2.

Nine of the homes in second phase of the Delph Road project have been designed to amenity standard and will suit older people. Two, 3-bedroom houses have also been designed to full wheelchair standard and the balance is a mix of 2, 3, and 4 bedroom family homes.

The Delph Road project will be completed in the Summer of 2018 and all the new homes have been developed to Kingdom’s normal high quality standards including Housing for Varying Needs, Building Standards Silver Sustainability and Secured by Design.

The energy efficient homes include ventilation, gas and waste water heat recovery systems to help tenants reduce their fuel bills and improve their indoor air quality.

Demand for both projects is very high, however interested applicants can contact Kingdom to check their eligibility and for more information on how to apply for one of the new homes.

Housing minister praises new Hillcrest homes in Blackford

Minister for local government and housing, Kevin Stewart MSP, praised good quality, energy efficient, affordable homes when he visited a new housing estate in Blackford yesterday.

The 38 social housing properties were developed by Hillcrest Housing Association and Robertson Partnership Homes, who are both celebrating 50 years in operation this year, in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council.

The first social housing properties in Perthshire to feature Quantum Heating and triple glazing, the one, two and three bedroom homes all meet the Scottish Government’s Greener Standard and benefit from solar panels which minimise fuel bills and usage.

Hillcrest will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with an event to raise money for the charities Dundee Bairns and Move On.

The event will take place on November 3 at the Apex Hotel in Dundee.

Community land ownership increasing across the Highlands

The changing pattern of land ownership in Scotland has been illustrated by new figures showing that 124 community groups now own 142,177 acres in the Highlands council area.

Across Scotland as a whole 494 community groups, across all local authority areas, have taken charge of almost 563,000 acres.

Successive Scottish Governments have introduced legislation in an attempt to redistribute land ownership to rebalance a system that they believe has seen too much of the countryside run by relatively few landowners.

Argyll and Bute now has 77 community groups taking over 16,300 acres and the Western Isles has seen 41 groups take charge of 38,534 acres. In other areas like East Renfrewshire and East Dunbartonshire only one community group has taken on land ownership.

AWPR - Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road (C89C) to close this weekend

The C89C Chapel of Stoneywood to Fairley Road is expected to close from 8pm on Friday 25 August until 6am on Monday 28 August, as part of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route/Balmedie to Tipperty (AWPR/B-T) project.

The closure, between the C88C Newhills Road and Kingswells Crescent, will enable the contractor to undertake surfacing works at Dykeside Roundabout.

Views sought on future development of Drumbeck Marsh

Residents in Kilsyth are being asked for their views on plans to improve the environment and wildlife at Dumbreck Marsh Local Nature Reserve.

North Lanarkshire Council have announced a consultation on what people enjoy about the nature reserve and the nearby Garrell Burn and ideas for improving access to the area.

In partnership with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the council wants to naturalise the Garrell Burn and investigate improvements for fish migration at a weir, which is currently impassable.

This work will help improve the environment through improved habitats, flood management and restoration of the wetland, and the council want to identify more ways to improve people’s access to the area, local biodiversity, education and community engagement.

On Wednesday 23 and Saturday 26 August, there will be drop-in consultation events from 2pm to 4pm at Burngreen Hall in Kilsyth.