Ten new Council homes in Conon Bridge are the latest to be completed by The Highland Council as part of a 202-house Highland-wide project supported by the Scottish Government.
The new tenants at Marjorie Mackenzie Place were welcomed on Friday by Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of the Finance Housing and Resources Committee, and Ward Members for Dingwall and Seaforth Alister Mackinnon, Angela Maclean, Graham Mackenzie and Margaret Paterson.
The construction of the council houses has been carried out in partnership with Albyn Housing Society who have completed an additional 29 affordable units on the site.
Councillor Fallows said: 'It is always a pleasure to see people moving into a new council house in these days when new house building is so limited, and this partnership with Albyn has helped us towards our ambitious plans to deliver more council houses into the future. I look forward to more partnership working wherever possible to make extra housing in the Highlands a reality, but most of all, of course, I wish the new tenants of this home many years of pleasure and benefit of such a lovely, and energy efficient house.'
The Council wants 5,000 new homes provided in the Highlands by 2017, including 600 council houses.
Calum Macaulay, chief executive of Albyn, said: "Demand for high-quality, affordable and energy efficient housing is growing all over the Highlands and Islands. We are committed to making the best use of grant funding and the Society's own bank borrowing and reserves to keep delivering new building programmes such as these in the communities we serve.
"This development in Conon Bridge is a prime example of our successful partnership with The Highland Council. Working together has allowed us to develop an important site at a time when securing funding is extremely challenging."
Mrs Margaret Macaree, tenant of Marjorie Mackenzie Place, said "I'm delighted with my new house - it's easy to keep clean and nice and warm. I have friendly neighbours and I love having a garden - I'm out in it most evenings. My grand- daughters love the space in the new house too when they visit me."
Mrs Macaree's new home is a detached two bedroom bungalow. Mrs Macaree moved from Windsor Place, a three bedroom Highland Council property. Mrs Macaree was assisted under the Council's Downsizing Policy and her former home has now been let to a family.
The new houses are designed to be energy efficient, exceeding the current energy ratings set by Building Standards. They have all been rented to tenants who are either existing council tenants who are transferring to a new home or are applicants from the Highland Housing Register. Ownership and management of the ten houses will remain in Council hands.
Marjorie Mackenzie Place is part of a new multi-tenure development of affordable rent and low cost ownership and was named after the late Marjorie Mackenzie of Gairloch whose family previously owned the land.
Work is already underway for the next phase on the site which will see a further ten units, six of which will be council houses for rent and the remaining four occupied as part of the LIFT project (Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers).
PHOTO
Cllr Angela MacLean, Gavin Sinclair (Albyn's Vice Chair), Tenant Margaret Macaree, Cllrs Alistair MacKinnon, Dave Fallows and Margaret Paterson.
