Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Housing Association share a common housing register and work together on the social housing development programme which covers social rented housing as well as lost cost home ownership.
One of the Council’s projects in the current house build programme was the development of six units in Burray. The project started on site in May 2013 and was completed in April 2014.
The Burray scheme comprised the construction of four one-bedroom units and two two-bedroom units. The project received £204,000 in grant from the Scottish Government towards the construction of the units. The Council held an open house event for the public to come and look round the newly completed properties and the feedback was very positive.
Luke Fraser, Housing Manager (Policy & Planning) at Orkney Islands Council, said:
“The new tenants seem to be enjoying the new houses and some of the properties have stunning views over the bay; it’s a really nice scheme. The contractor worked well with our internal development team and the final outcome was a really good team effort.”
Another project in the three year development programme is the joint Orkney Islands Council and Orkney Housing Association development at Garson in Stromness. This project was completed in December 2013, following a thirteen month construction period. The project comprised 23 units in total including eleven for the Council and twelve for the Housing Association.
The eleven units developed for the Council at Garson included three one-bedroom houses, five two-bedroom houses and three three-bedroom houses. For this project the Council was awarded £360,000 grant from the Scottish Government.
Orkney has been awarded £3,338,000 in Scottish Government grant for the 2015/16 housing development programme and the Council in consultation with Orkney Housing Association is producing a proposed development programme that will utilise this funding to deliver more much needed social rented and low cost home ownership units in Orkney.
Luke added:
“We work very closely with Orkney Housing Association on the social housing development programme and it’s really useful to have the expertise and experience of the Housing Association involved in the programme, we definitely deliver more working together than either of us could deliver on our own.”
For more information, please visit: www.orkney.gov.uk.
