Housing Minister opens new Aberdeen housing development

A new affordable housing development, which will inject 67 good quality affordable homes into the city’s housing stock, has been officially opened by Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning Kevin Stewart MSP.

Mr Stewart is also an MSP for the Aberdeen Central constituency. He visited the development located at Countesswells to view the homes and meet delegates from the organisations involved in their development.

The minister was welcomed to the site by Hillcrest Chairperson Alan Russell, Hillcrest Chief Executive Angela Linton, Hillcrest Director of Development David Zwirlein, Aberdeen City Council Senior Housing Strategy Officer Mel Booth, and Homes North Managing Director John Low, and Homes North Land Director Richard Fawcus.

During his visit to the site, Mr Stewart also met with newly housed tenants who told him difference that the new homes had made.

The new homes have been created through an investment of £9,110,754, including £721,050 from Aberdeen City Council’s allocation from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Investment Programme, and £4,080,960 of the development funding was provided courtesy of a charitable Bond.

Constructed by Stewart Milne, on behalf of Hillcrest, the development has created 67 new homes, 52 of which are available to those on Aberdeen’s housing list. Fifteen of the properties are for mid-market rent.

The development marks the completion of the first of three phases which are set to bring a total of 137 affordable homes to Aberdeen. There are a further two phases of development planned nearby. The second phase will commence in April 2019 and the third in July 2019, and both are expected to be completed early 2021.

The new homes have also been developed to be energy efficient in order to save tenants as much money as possible. The homes benefit from solar panels, gas central heating, smart meters and state of the art insulation.

The new social rent homes consist of two-bedroom cottage flats, three-bedroom semi-detached and terraced houses, and two-bedroom flats, while the mid-market rent homes comprise one and two-bedroom flats.

Hillcrest is new to the Grampian region, only last year completing its debut development at Cove, which consisted of nine homes. Countesswells will mark the organisation’s first significant development in the region, and it will boost to the city’s stretched affordable housing provision.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “I am delighted to see the exceptional progress made at Hillcrest Housing Association’s development at Countesswells.  

“The government’s innovative use of donations from charitable bond investment is making a real contribution to the delivery of our target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes by 2021.

“This development will promote strong integrated community living in Countesswells and provide high-quality affordable homes for the city.”

Hillcrest Chairman Alan Russell said: “The completion of these homes at Countesswells marks a significant milestone for Hillcrest, and we were delighted to welcome Mr Stewart to our official handover.

“These good quality homes, which have been developed with the aim of saving tenants as much money as possible on their energy bills, will give a welcome boost to Aberdeen’s affordable housing stock.”