Highland Council makes further progress on affordable housing developments

Members of The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee have agreed a number of recommendations that will see the provision of another 20 affordable new homes throughout the Highlands.

This announcement follows on from an earlier package of land sales and loans by the Council in September, 2008 to the value of £4.094 million, which the Council then stated would see the development of over 150 affordable homes in the Highlands.

The 20 additonal new homes will be developed at Muir of Ord, Dunbeath, Thurso and Balmacara with the possibility of a further 6 affordable homes being developed at Muir of Ord depending on the outcome of ongoing negotiations between the Council and neighbouring landowners.

Development of the new affordable homes is being made possible through a range of measures including: disposal of Council-owned land; use of Council landbank monies and additional income from council tax monies from second and holiday home owners; grants to partners agencies and securing additional funding from the Scottish Government.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chair of The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee said: “I welcome these additional land measures that the Council is investing into affordable housing in the Highlands particularly in our rural areas. This package supports The Highland Council Administration’s targets of delivering 2,000 affordable homes by 2012.”

Members of the Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee agreed:

• that the former TECS depot at Balvaird Road, Muir of Ord be transferred from TECS to Housing at the value of £66,000;

• subject to the consent of Scottish Ministers, that an area of land extending to approximately 0.14ha at Achorn Road, Dunbeath be sold to Pentland Housing Association at nil consideration;

• that interest free loans be offered, utilising the Landbank Fund, and on terms to be agreed by the Director of Housing and Property, to: Pentland Housing Association to assist in forward funding a project at Mount Pleasant, Thurso up to a maximum loan of £0.100m; and Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association to assist in forward funding the purchase of the former dairy, Balmacara up to a maximum loan of £0.120m; and

• that a grant of up to £10,000 be offered to the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust to assist in funding a detailed feasibility study to be carried out on a possible housing site in Glencanisp, Lochinver.

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