News / New housing developments to get underway
WORK is due to get underway soon on 27 new flats opposite the Islesburgh Community Centre in the heart of Lerwick after DITT was awarded the contract to develop the site by Hjaltland Housing Association (HHA).
HHA has also signed off a contract with builders E&H for an additional 24 homes next to its Gaet-A-Gott scheme in Tingwall at a cost of £4 million.
The news comes after HHA and DITT recently completed work on 11 new homes at Hill Grind in Lerwick.
The three projects represent a total investment of £10.4 million, with £6.8 million of the expenditure coming from Scottish Government grants and £3.6 million being financed privately.
HHA was gifted the central site opposite Islesburgh by Shetland Islands Council and the project is due to be completed in spring 2020.
The existing buildings, which previously housed a gym hall and canteen when Islesburgh was a school, will be demolished to make way for the 27 one bedroom flats.
HHA head of investment and asset management Paul Leask said: “It is a very prominent site within the new town conservation area and as such early engagement with the planners was essential to ensure we could come up with an appropriate design.
“I think Karen [Manson, PJP Architects] has done an excellent job and it will be great to see what has been a derelict site for a number of years providing much needed homes for the people of Shetland.”
The new builds at Tingwall, meanwhile, will consist of 12 two-person flats, six three-person houses, two four-person houses, two five-person houses and two six-person houses.
The development comes in addition to HHA’s previous contract for 16 units there, and it will be located next to the existing Gaet-A-Gott scheme, with completion due for winter 2019.
“We are delighted to be on site with the last phase of the site at Gaet-A-Gott which is a great example of a mixed tenure scheme, having made provision in total for 68 rental units, 12 low cost home ownership properties, five private sites and the potential for a new children’s home,” chief executive Bryan Leask said.
“This is yet another example of the association working in partnership with other agencies to meet the needs of our communities.”
The new houses at Hill Grind in Lerwick were built by DITT and they include five two-person properties, three three-person houses, two four-person houses and one house for six people.
Tenants are in the process of moving into the properties.
Leask added: “This £1.8 million pound project was completed on time, to a very high standard, and within budget.”
Scottish housing minister Kevin Stewart said he was “delighted to see these high quality, affordable new homes, supported with over £6.5 million Scottish Government funding”.
“It highlights the importance of partnership working between the Housing Association, Shetland Islands Council and the Scottish Government to ensure we deliver the right homes, in the right places, for both individuals and communities,” he added.
Meanwhile HHA managing director Bryan Leask also noted that the company’s masterplan for up to 300 new homes at Staney Hill in Lerwick has been adopted as policy by the council.
“It is early on in the design process for our Staney Hill project but it shows the long term commitment we have to helping house the people of Shetland,” he said.
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