Construction is underway on the site of two former school sites in North Lanarkshire as the council continues it delivery of new homes across the region.

Sod cutting events were held to mark the beginning of 14 new cottage flats on the former Alexandra Primary School in Airdrie and also at the former St Ambrose High School in Coatbridge where the council is delivering forty new homes.

Cutting the sod at Cairnhill Road in Airdrie was Councillor Allan Graham, convener of enterprise and housing. He was joined by local members, Councillor Jim Logue, Councillor Trevor Douglas, Councillor David Stocks, Councillor Nancy Pettigrew.

A 40-space Park and Ride car park, associated with Airdrie train station, is also planned for the site. Work is being carried out on the new facility by the council’s roads service and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), and is expected to be completed by March 2018. SPT is contributing £400,000 this financial year to the construction of the new Airdire Station Park and Ride from its Capital Grant Fund.

Councillor Michael McPake, representing the SPT board, and representatives from developer Robertson Partnership Homes and North Lanarkshire Council’s Enterprise and Housing Resources also attended the event.

Committee convener, Councillor Allan Graham said: “I’m delighted to be part of this fantastic NL Homes programme delivering new, affordable council houses across North Lanarkshire. Not only do these developments provide much needed homes for local people but they also provide regeneration opportunities on a number of vacant sites within the council area. I look forward to seeing this latest development taking shape and becoming a vibrant housing community.

“We’re proud of our new build homes and I’m confident we will continue to make significant progress in improving local communities across North Lanarkshire and the lives of our tenants.”

The new homes at this site are expected to be completed by July next year.

Gareth Edwards, contracts manager for Robertson Partnership Homes Central, added: “The housing development at Cairnhill Road, Airdrie, is one of eight projects Robertson is delivering in partnership with North Lanarkshire Council, procured through Scape Group’s National Major Works Framework.

“Once complete, these homes will bolster the region’s housing portfolio, providing high-quality and affordable living spaces for local residents. We are proud to be part of such a transformational investment.”

Meanwhile in Coatbridge, construction is also underway on the site of the former St Ambrose High School.

This development sees North Lanarkshire Council working jointly with Scottish Veteran’s Garden City Association (SVGCA) to include a shared ownership arrangement for six properties that will be used to accommodate ex-service personnel.

A sod cutting event took place at the site on Blair Road, to signal the start of work to build forty new homes – a mix of flats and family homes, together with a number of wheelchair compatible properties.

Councillor Graham was joined by Councillor Bill Shields and Councillor Alex McVey. Also attending were representatives from North Lanarkshire Council’s Enterprise and Housing Resources, the Scottish Veteran’s Garden City Association and Robertson Partnership Homes.

Richard Callander, chairman of the Scottish Veteran’s Garden City Association (SVGCA), said: “This housing project is a wonderful example of joint working to create housing for veterans who are disabled.

“We’ve entered into a shared ownership agreement for six properties that will be used by SVGCA to accommodate ex service personnel. By working together we’re providing modern, adaptable accommodation for our veterans.”

Both developments form part of North Lanarkshire Council’s new house building programme, NL Homes, which will see 2,150 homes built by 2027.

All the new homes are built with energy efficiency in mind and meet Housing for Varying Needs specification which means homes are more accessible to adapt to tenants’ mobility needs. The homes are also ‘Secured by Design’ accredited, which involves Police Scotland architectural liaison officers having input into the layout and designs to ensure we build safe and secure environments.

The Scottish Government contributes towards the development costs at each site.