THE Kingdom Group recently welcomed Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, to the Bertha Park mixed tenure development on the outskirts of Perth.
Kingdom Housing Association chair Linda Leslie and group chief executive Tom Barclay greeted him before touring the development alongside colleagues from across the Kingdom Group.
To date, Kingdom has provided 119 homes for social rent and 28 homes for mid-market rent over two build phases at Bertha Park, within the First Minister’s Perthshire North constituency. Phase three is underway with an additional 41 homes being developed for social rent, bringing the total number of homes to 188.
While on the tour of Bertha Park, Mr Swinney was welcomed into the homes of two customers, Dr Qusai Al-Hamdan and Elliemay Tyrrell who shared the impact that safe, secure and affordable housing has had on their lives. The First Minister was also able to see the positive impact bespoke adaptations make for families with wheelchair users.
John Swinney said, “I was delighted to tour the Bertha Park development, and to hear firsthand of the steps that Kingdom Housing Association are taking to ensure that tenants are housed in affordable and suitable homes. The Scottish Government recognises the importance of building more affordable homes and the need to ensure that people have a safe and secure place to live. To that end, it was particularly pleasing to meet with tenants to discuss the transformative effect that their properties at Bertha Park have had on their quality of life.
“It is also worth noting the high-quality construction and energy efficiency of these properties, along with the bespoke alterations that have been made to ensure that tenants with specific needs can live comfortably.”
Linda Leslie, chair of Kingdom Housing Association, added, “I am very pleased the First Minister was able to join us at Bertha Park and meet some of our customers. Mr Swinney heard directly from those customers about the genuinely life-changing impact high-quality affordable housing has had in their lives.
“At the Kingdom Group we know the positive impact our homes and wraparound services have on our customers and our wider communities and I was happy to have the opportunity to discuss our plans for the future and how Kingdom can continue to be a force for good across the central belt.”
Working in partnership with Perth and Kinross Council and Springfield Properties, the £29.5 million project at Bertha Park has been delivered with Scottish Government funding of £15.7 million and additional financial support from Perth & Kinross Council.
