Housing / Construction industry invited to attend housing development event
REPRESENTATIVES of the local construction industry are being invited to an event next month to explore business opportunities for future housing developments in Shetland.
Shetland Islands Council (SIC) said the pressure on the local housing market and the need for more houses to be built locally in the coming years is well known.
To address this there is a substantial programme of new builds planned over the next ten years by the council and Hjaltland Housing Association in Lerwick at the ex-Anderson High School and Staney Hill respectively.
There are also planned refurbishments, upgrades and the annual cyclical maintenance of existing housing stock, leading to a considerable programme of works.
Next month’s event aims to bring together local construction businesses with the council and Hjaltland to explore “creative solutions” to deliver this programme of works.
It is hoped that it will attract a range of local industry partners, including representatives from construction companies of all sizes, tradesmen acting as sole traders, building materials suppliers, and related professions such as architects, engineers and quantity surveyors.
The workshop will take place at Mareel in the afternoon and early evening of Monday 22 April, with further details of the event available nearer the time.
The format will include presentations, question and answer sessions and opportunities for informal networking.
SIC housing manager Anita Jamieson said: “We’re working hard to use available public funding in the next few years, from local and external sources, to address the quality and supply of housing in Shetland.
“This will help to support and grow the local economy and provide regular work for the construction industry, including training the future workforce.
“There’s many opportunities for collaboration between businesses, and those seeking to expand and diversify, to help meet the need for new houses and regular maintenance work.
“We’re keen to engage with the construction industry and related businesses to connect these opportunities and help streamline the workflow for housing related activities.
“I’d urge anyone in this sector to keep the date free and I hope they can make it along.”
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