Scottish Government Supports Regeneration of Affordable Housing in AberdeenScottish Government Supports Regeneration of Affordable Housing in Aberdeen The Scottish Government’s Housing Secretary, Paul McLennan, visited Aberdeen to witness the transformation of a former bank and retail property into six high-quality rental homes. The £850,658 Ellon Road project, supported by £636,000 in Scottish Government grants, will preserve the area’s granite heritage while meeting modern building standards. KW Contractors, a local construction company, is delivering the project, marking its first foray into affordable housing. The initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to mobilizing funds for small-scale regenerative projects. McLennan commended the project’s value in addressing affordable housing needs in Aberdeen, stating, “These high-quality properties demonstrate how unused buildings can be transformed into much-needed homes.” Stacy Angus, CEO of Osprey Housing, emphasized the importance of both new builds and repurposing existing buildings to meet housing demands. She noted the project’s prime location and the benefits of rejuvenating the community through high-quality homes. The project is an example of successful partnership working to overcome challenges associated with refurbishment sites. Osprey Housing aims to provide future opportunities for local area revitalization through well-built and future-proof homes.
Scottish Government Housing Secretary Paul McLennan visited Aberdeen to see what he called a unique project for the regeneration of ‘affordable’ housing.
Renovation work is currently underway to convert a former bank and retail property in the city’s Bridge of Don area into six high-quality rental homes for Aberdeenshire-based social landlord Osprey Housing.
The £850,658 Ellon Road project, due for completion in October this year, will help preserve some of the town’s rich granite heritage while also improving the building to meet current building and energy efficiency standards.
KW Contractors, a locally based construction company specializing in renovation projects, is the delivery partner for this site. This is the first delivery of new affordable housing by the company.
Nearly £636,000 of the project costs have come from the Scottish Government in the form of housing association grants. McLennan was interested in what it takes to mobilise government money to deliver a small-scale regenerative project of this kind.
He said: “The new social homes at Bridge of Don, supported by over £600,000 of Scottish Government funding, will play a valuable role in increasing the supply of affordable housing in Aberdeen.
“Everyone deserves a warm and safe place to call home and these high-quality properties, delivered by Osprey Housing, demonstrate how unused buildings can be transformed into much-needed homes.”
Stacy Angus, CEO of Osprey Housing, said: “There has been a lot of media attention around the need for more new homes, but it is also important to demonstrate that reusing and repurposing existing buildings can be an important part of meeting housing needs and regenerating our existing communities.
“The location of this site is fantastic, both in terms of accessibility and connection to the city, but also in terms of nearby open space and beach.
‘Smaller-scale projects like this make good use of the limited subsidy available, allowing us to deliver value for money in our ambition to build new homes in an area with high demand.’
She added: “This project has been a real success in terms of the partnership working to overcome some of the challenges faced by refurbishment sites, which often make them less attractive than new build sites. This is our first refurbishment project and we are keen to provide future opportunities to rejuvenate the local area through high quality homes that are fit for the future.”
Main photo: Scottish Housing Minister Paul McLennan with Osprey Housing Director Stacy Angus
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