Lochgelly affordable housing project complete

Andrew Saunders (Ore Valley) with Bill Banks (Kingdom group chief executive)

KINGDOM Housing Association has announced that 27 new homes for social rent have been handed over to Ore Valley Housing Association in Lochgelly.

The £3.3 million project at Hugh Place is located on the site of the former Fife Council transport depot. The Scottish Government provided £2.1 million in subsidy to allow the provision of the affordable homes, while the balance was made up via private finance.

20 of the new homes have been designed to amenity standard and seven are general needs properties.

Andrew Saunders, Ore Valley’s chief executive, said, “The completion and occupation of the properties at Hugh Place has been a great success, and the feedback from our new tenants has been very positive. The ongoing partnership with Kingdom Housing Association, through the Fife Housing Association Alliance, continues to be a successful model for the delivery of new homes, in this instance meeting local community needs in Lochgelly.”

All the properties were built to full Bronze and Silver standard of sustainability through the installation of Photovoltaic Panels, DMEV (Decentralised Mechanical Extract Ventilation) Systems and increased insulation, Kingdom explained. The project has also achieved the Secured by Design accreditation.

The project was built for Kingdom by local contractor Richard Street as part of a design and build contract, with Fife-based designers part of the project team; Sinclair Watt Architects, Hardies (employers agents) and Bayne Stevenson Associates (engineers)