Caithness Map :: Links to Site Map Great value Unlimited Broadband from an award winning provider TUE 8TH JUL 2025    11:18:21 AM BST
This site uses cookies, by continuing to use this site you accept the terms of our privacy policy
Back To Top
Caithness.Org Quick Links
Home
Construction
Leisure
Manufacturing
Misc.
Primary
Professional
Public
Retail
Tourism
Transport
Site Map
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Feed 2.0 Loading...

Highland Residents To Benefit From Pioneering Fithomes Thanks To £3m City-region Deal Windfall

9th January 2018

Photograph of Highland Residents To Benefit From Pioneering Fithomes Thanks To £3m City-region Deal Windfall

Around £3 million of funding has been agreed for a ground-breaking Highland project that could transform the lives of people with complex health needs as part of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal.

The business case for the ‘FitHome' assisted living project was approved in November last year with £3m funding from the Scottish Government. The project, led by Albyn Housing Society in partnership with Carbon Dynamic and NHS Highland, aims to establish a new concept for health and care delivery at home by utilising data-capture and Internet of Things capabilities to predict and prevent episodes leading to ill health. This in turn will enable people to live independently at home for as long as they want, while potentially allowing for early hospital discharge.

The FitHome concept, which will be piloted initially with the construction of 12 homes at Dalmore, Ross-shire, won the Saltire Award for innovation in housing last year and recently hosted a showcase event at the Scottish Parliament.

The Inverness and Highland City Region Deal funding will support the purchase and development of 32 additional homes across several Highland locations. It is anticipated that the first City-Region Deal project will be in Nairn. One of the clusters will be built in Inverness City to suit the needs of veterans.

Calum Macaulay, chief executive at Albyn Housing Society, said: "The central concept of these high-quality, sustainable homes is that they will include ambient, physiological and building sensors. The sensors will collect data that can be monitored and responded to by a variety of agencies. Potentially, this will transform the way health and social care is delivered.

"The collaboration has already included potential residents, school children, doctors, nurses, occupational therapists, health and social care managers, technologists, enterprise executives - anyone who can offer experience, expertise and insight to ensure this project results in a sustainable and successful model for the future.

“We're very excited to be progressing this unique initiative as part of the Inverness and Highland City-Region Deal given its enormous potential to develop a Highland, UK, even Global, solution that encompasses housing, health, care, digital technology and economic growth."

Chair of the Highland Council’s environment, development and infrastructure committee, Cllr Allan Henderson, welcomed the latest funding announcement, saying: “We all have an interest in what the City Region Deal means to the Highlands as a whole. This is an exciting project which will bring benefits to communities across the region, together with other pan-Highland projects such as the Newton Rooms, affordable housing, free wifi, and support for small and medium businesses throughout the Highlands."

Cabinet secretary for economy, jobs and fair work, Keith Brown, added: “I look forward to the development of the assisted living homes that this city region deal funding will bring - especially those in Inverness City for veterans. This £3m investment shows the benefits of the Inverness and Highland City Region Deal and how it will improve access to healthcare and housing in the area and eventually help people live independently in their homes for longer.

“The £135m invested by the Scottish Government as part of the £315m City Deal for the Inverness and Highland region, will continue to deliver significant long-term benefits for the city, region and Scotland as a whole.

“The Scottish Government recognises the value of this type of partnership which is why we have doubled our overall investment in city region deals in our draft budget for 2018-19.”

The £315m Deal Document sets out the projects and programmes where the Scottish and UK governments will commit investment of up to £188m, together with £127m of further investment by the council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the University of the Highlands and Islands.

Led by The Highland Council, the Inverness and Highland city-region deal is a joint initiative supported by up to £315m investment, aimed at stimulating sustainable regional economic growth.

As part of the agreed programme governance, the council is the accountable body for the majority of the City Region Deal projects. This means the council distributes funding and monitors progress for council led projects and partner projects.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Renewable energy firm ENERCON welcomed to Wick Business Park
Wick Business Park has welcomed wind energy technology company ENERCON as the first occupant of one of four new units completed last year.   ENERCON specialises in designing, producing, installing and servicing onshore wind turbines and has been operating in the Caithness area since 2013.  
3/7/2025
Bringing more empty homes back into use
Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use.   The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.  
2/7/2025
Community-Led Local Development Fund distributes over £900k to support projects in Highland
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG) met in June 2025 and considered and agreed funding for 28 projects submitted to the Community-Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) programme.   CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by The Highland Council.  
2/7/2025
Community benefits funding delivers educational resources to Highland schoolsThumbnail for article : Community benefits funding delivers educational resources to Highland schools
Highland Council has provided 12 ‘Talking Tub' resources for use in primary schools across the Highlands, in partnership with Union Technical who deliver community benefits as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme programme.   Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: "This is a fantastic initiative being rolled out across Highland primary schools which brings innovation and inspiration to early years children.  
1/7/2025
Additional bins will help keep popular visitor spots tidy
Visitors will find it easier to dispose of their litter at several popular spots across Highland after the rollout of additional bins.  The rollout has been planned to support the tourism season as part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve and support sustainable tourism in the area.  
27/6/2025
Accounts Commission commends Highland Council's culture of transformation
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement.   In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.  
27/6/2025
Thurso masterplan and community POD progress update
A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands.   At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD).  
27/6/2025
Highland Housing Challenge partnership makes positive strides
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023.   Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.  
25/6/2025
Highland Council to deliver housing energy efficiency upgrades with ECO funding
The Highland Council will deliver a transformative programme of energy efficiency upgrades across Council housing supported by a £9.2 million Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding proposal secured by Union Technical.   The funding proposal will deliver approximately 1,000 individual energy efficiency measures to Council owned properties across the Highlands.  
18/6/2025
Look to See - a Refugee Week exhibition by young people
As part of the Highland Council's celebration of Refugee Week - 16 to 22 June - we are delighted to announce that a sharing of photographs, taken by separated young people seeking asylum living within the Highlands, is to be shown at Eden Court Arts Centre, Inverness.   Look to See, which ties in with the theme for this year’s Refugee Week - Community as a Superpower - emerges out of a collaboration between multiple agencies working alongside separated young people seeking asylum, embodying the importance of community and connection, when looking to support all young people in the Highlands.