Multimillion-pound house building programme agreed by Cabinet
At the recent meeting of Cabinet, an investment of over £51m was agreed, which will help to ensure that our communities will continue to have access to a range of good-quality, affordable homes.
This multimillion-pound investment programme will support previous house building programmes that have already helped to transform communities across East Ayrshire through the delivery of attractive new affordable Council homes, including the new development at Mill O’Shield Road in Drongan and the recently completed development at Quarryknowe in Auchinleck.
Work is well underway at Witch Road in Kilmarnock, where 43 bungalows are being built for older ambulant disabled residents; the Council’s first net zero housing project is progressing well at Bellevue Gardens in Kilmarnock and the development being built in partnership with the East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership at Kilmarnock Road, Mauchline is now underway.
In addition, Registered Social Landlord (RSL) partners have completed one new home in Crosshouse, 30 new homes in Mauchline at Corrie Mains Farm and work is underway on a number of sites in towns and villages including Cumnock, Kilmarnock and Kilmaurs.
Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council said: “Since our house building programme began in 2010 the Council and its Registered Social Landlord (RSL) partners have built 499 new homes across East Ayrshire. This means that our communities have been regenerated thanks to continued investment in new homes, which includes funding from the Scottish Government.
“I have visited every development and spoken to local people in each area. These homes are not only transforming communities, they are transforming lives. It has also been built into each development contract that there will be community investment and that local people are given an opportunity to learn through apprenticeships, work placements and curriculum support. At four sites – Witch Road, Quarryknowe, Mill O’Shield Road and Bellevue Gardens – there has also been £16,000 of community investment in local groups and initiatives.
“The house building programme is something I am very proud of as Leader of the Council. You only have to look at the news at the moment to see why providing good quality, affordable housing is so important and we want to be in a position to continue this investment in future years to ensure that local needs are met.
“Housing Services will now be working closely with the East Ayrshire Federation of Tenants and Residents on a rent consultation. Cabinet has agreed to consult on a rent increase of 4%, which is £3.06 over 52 weeks, ensuring that our rent stays below the national average and that we are in a position to continue to provide safe, secure and warm homes for our communities into the future.”
The Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) 2023 – 2028, was approved by Cabinet and anticipates an affordable housing supply programme investment of £51.082m for projects that could deliver up to 689 affordable homes for the Council and RSL partners. The new homes are being developed with additional grant investment funding from the Scottish Government and contributes to their target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
Councillor Graham Barton, Spokesperson for Children and Young People, Net Zero, Environment, Climate Change and Equalities and Inclusion said: “Our ambitious house building programme includes two net zero projects, Bellevue Gardens in Kilmarnock and the new development that is now underway in Mauchline. Net zero means that carbon emissions associated with regulated operational energy will be equal to zero so these projects are the first builds to have air source heat pumps installed. All the homes at Bellevue Gardens will have solar panels installed on their roofs and both projects will be insulated to the highest standard, helping to reduce energy usage and therefore, saving our tenants money.
“The funding agreed by Cabinet will ensure that we continue to move towards the aims of our Climate Change Strategy and that we continue to deliver positive change across East Ayrshire.”