Biggest
Ever Land Purchase Set To Boost
Aberdeen’s Affordable Housing
Communities Minister
Malcolm Chisholm today welcomed the
purchase of land for more than 360
affordable homes on the site of a disused paper mill in
Aberdeen.
The Donside site in
Tillydrone has been acquired by Devanha Housing Partnership, a group
of Grampian based housing associations, with support from Communities Scotland, the Executive’s housing and regeneration agency.
The
25-acre site is the first major purchase by Devanha and the largest piece
of land ever bought by affordable housing partners in the north east.
The move aims to
deliver 365 high quality, low cost homes built in an “urban village
environment” on the currently derelict site.
The former industrial
plant will be cleared and prepared for the development of the new homes,
which will carry an overall re-development value of around £50 million.
A
plan of the proposed site is available for download here
(Adobe® file 74.63 Kb). Please note that this is only
indicative and subject to further consultations with the planning
department.
Devanha has been
created to support a more efficient and co-ordinated procurement approach
to affordable housing in Grampian. Tenants First Housing Co-operative
acquired the site on behalf of the group.
Mr Chisholm said:
“It is very much at an early stage, but
securing such a large and important site for affordable housing is great
news for
Aberdeen.
“It is another
excellent example of close working between Communities Scotland, local
housing associations and local authorities. We have already seen it
happening in Portree, Moray and elsewhere - helping communities to stay
vibrant and prosperous.
“Getting the land is
the first step to providing the homes families need and can afford.
“There is a certainly
a shortage of such sites in Aberdeen and this will also help boost regeneration
efforts in Tillydrone and across the city.”
Sandy
Murray
, Chief Executive of Tenants First Housing Co-operative (on behalf of the
Devanha group), added:
“The
Donside Mill project realises our vision to create an urban village in
Aberdeen, dedicated to meeting the increasing demand for affordable homes in the
city.
“Bringing
together a number of housing associations under the banner of Devanha
Housing Partnership has brought life to a project that, with 365 homes, is
on an unprecedented scale.
“The
Donside urban village project is also highly significant in economic and
community terms. At £50 million, this is a massive investment in the
local economy and I am also certain that it will be the catalyst for
welcome regeneration within the wider Tillydrone community.”
Councillor Aileen
Malone, vice-convenor of Aberdeen City Council’s community services
committee, said: “The need for
affordable housing and, in particular affordable family housing, is
obviously a key issue for the city, and has been the subject of much
debate generally, and in the preparation of the finalised local plan.
“If we want the city
to continue to prosper, we must provide good quality homes of all tenures
in the city, and I’m pleased to see developments like this come forward
to address that need.
“The Donside
Papermill site is clearly a prime site and our officers will continue to
work closely with the Devanha group to ensure the best possible use for
it.
'The application, when lodged, will be
subject to the usual planning process, which will include consideration of
any representations made.”
Gordon Smith, Communities Scotland’s area
director for Grampian, concluded: “This is a landmark for the housing
associations in the north east that have come together to make more
effective procurement of sites and services in delivering homes for people
in the north east.
“Communities
Scotland
has provided funding to acquire
this site and now looks forward to effectively delivering affordable homes on the site.”
Communities
Scotland
’s support of this project coincides with the formation of the Devanha
group. The organisation is committed to better harnessing their individual
housing procurement expertise, by establishing a more co-ordinated and
efficient land purchasing process for affordable housing in the North
East.
The
members are Grampian Housing Association, Langstane Housing Association,
Tenants First Housing Co-operative, Castlehill Housing Association and
Aberdeenshire Housing Partnership.
Adobe, Acrobat, Reader are either registered
trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States
and/or other countries
New
Smoking Legislation
Most
of you will know that from 26 March 2006 the law on smoking has changed.
Smoking will no longer be allowed in certain wholly or substantially
enclosed public spaces.
Our
offices have always been no smoking areas and all staff and visitors must
refrain from smoking while in these buildings.
In some sheltered housing communal areas the residents had already
decided that they wanted to have these as smoke free areas. However the
new law means that all
sheltered housing common rooms and their communal areas where smoking
has been previously allowed will also become non smoking from 26 March
2006.
The
Co-operative would like to ask all residents for their assistance in
meeting its obligations under this new legislation.
