By Dougie Herd, joint MD at Campion Homes
AFFORDABLE housing is ultimately a giant jigsaw puzzle. Sites, funding, design, construction, local need and long-term commitment all have to fit together before homes can be delivered. And this only happens when strong partnerships are in place from the outset.
At Campion Homes, we have seen first-hand how effective those partnerships can be. Across Fife, Perthshire and wider East Central Scotland, we have worked closely with housing associations, local authorities, architects, consultants and public sector partners to deliver affordable homes that meet the needs of local people.
That experience has taught us a clear lesson. The best projects happen when every partner is focused on the same outcome. In our case, it is the creation of high-quality homes for people who need them, in places where communities can thrive.
New City House in Dunfermline is a fantastic recent example of that partnership approach in action. A once-empty office block in the heart of the city has now been transformed into 32 modern, energy-efficient mid-market rent flats. Originally a 19th-century hospital, the building could easily have remained vacant or become another derelict asset with an uncertain future.
Instead, working closely with our long-standing RSL partner, Kingdom Housing Association, along with our consulting partners Oliver and Robb Architects and BSA Engineers, it has been given a crucial new purpose.
It was not a straightforward project. Parts of the building date back to the 1800s. Structural changes were required to existing roof trusses. Materials that would usually be lifted by crane on a new-build site had to be carried in by hand. The team also had to bring the building up to modern standards, including the installation of a sustainable district air source heat pump. But this is exactly why projects like New City House matter.
If Scotland is serious about tackling the housing emergency, we need to be willing to look creatively at every opportunity. New build housing will, of course, remain essential, but empty offices, redundant public buildings and underused town centre assets can also be part of the solution.
This requires collaboration from the outset. It requires housing associations with ambition, willing to help unlock sites and buildings, design teams with imagination, funders who understand the wider value of regeneration and contractors with the practical experience to deliver.
It also requires constructive engagement with the government and, prior to May’s election, we welcomed our local MSP, Shirley-Anne Somerville, now Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, and her predecessor Màiri McAllan to see the project first-hand. Their visit underlined the importance of affordable housing and the value of local partnerships that can turn policy priorities into real homes.
That positive engagement matters. No single organisation can solve Scotland’s housing challenge alone. The public, private and third sectors all have a role to play, and progress depends on those relationships being practical, open and focused on delivery.
At Campion Homes, we are proud of our track record in affordable housing, working with partners to deliver homes that meet local needs and support stronger communities. But we also know the scale of the challenge ahead.
The sector has the skills, commitment and experience to deliver more. What it needs are the right conditions: long-term funding certainty, a planning system that supports delivery, early collaboration between partners and a shared willingness to tackle complex sites and buildings rather than allowing them to sit empty.
New City House is not just a successful housing project. It is an example of what can happen when partners work together with a clear purpose. It has brought a redundant building back to life, supported city centre regeneration and created 32 affordable homes for people who need them.
