The £10.9 million build is the biggest since Perth & Kinross Council began its programme of house building in 2012 – and the largest new Council housing development the area has seen in several decades.

The development of 12 flats and 53 houses for affordable rent, built by the council’s construction partner CCG (Scotland) and supported by funding from the Scottish Government, is made up of:

• 24 two-bedroom houses
• 22 three-bedroom houses
• 3 four-bedroom houses
• 4 two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible properties
• 12 two-bedroom flats

The development will significantly increase the Council’s affordable housing stock, providing high-quality accommodation that will support tenants to live life happy and healthy lives. It also addresses a wide range of different housing needs with much-needed larger accommodation for families as well as smaller flats and houses, helping to create a vibrant, mixed community.

All of the ground floor flats have wet rooms for people with limited mobility, and are suitable for people with additional medical support needs to help them live independently.

The properties are built to the highest standard, with solar panels fitted to help drive down tenants’ energy bills and incorporated sprinkler systems for fire safety.

Councillor Bob Brawn, the council’s housing and communities convener, said: “This high-quality affordable housing will improve the lives of everyone who lives here and will address the accommodation needs of many different types of tenants. I’m especially delighted that there is accommodation for large and small families, as well as people with mobility issues and other supported needs. This is exactly the type of affordable housing for rent that is in demand here in Perth and Kinross.

“The completion of the Glebe development is a landmark in our affordable house building programme. This ambitious project has utilised a previously unused site to deliver the biggest development since we re-started our house-building programme in 2012, and it is the largest build of new Perth & Kinross Council homes in decades.

“Before building began we consulted with the local Scone community about how they wanted the development to look, and what kind of housing they wanted to see on the site. This kind of approach is fundamental to the new Perth and Kinross Offer, which will see the Council work very closely with local people and communities to deliver the services that they want and need.”

The development has also been constructed with the local environment in mind – bat and swift boxes have been included on the homes and ‘hedgehog highways’ have been incorporated into back gardens.

This network of interconnected nature-friendly gardens includes small holes incorporated into screen fencing at ground level. This lets hedgehogs roam freely to access patches of feeding and nesting habitat. Signage in every garden will let residents know the importance of keeping the highway clear.

Flowering lawns and native shrubs and trees will be planted to connect green areas in the development, and a new community orchard will provide food for wildlife and the local community in years to come.

Councillor Chris Ahern, vice convener, added: “As well as providing much-needed affordable housing for a wide range of different people, this development has been built with a sympathetic approach to the local landscape and environment. The homes are extremely energy efficient to reduce the carbon footprint of our tenants, and the inclusion of the bat and swift boxes, along with the hedgehog highways and the community orchard, will support species that are in decline to continue to live and thrive in the local area.”

John Baggley, CCG director, said: “We are delighted to have led the construction of Perth & Kinross Council’s largest affordable housing development since 2012. The project is one of seven to have been completed by CCG on behalf of the Council since 2017, with our partnership delivering a significant legacy of much-needed, energy-efficient homes as well as creating employment opportunities, training and investment across the region.

“The completion of Glebe is an important milestone and we look forward to working with Perth & Kinross Council again in the near future.”