TRUST Housing Association has completed the transformation of Manse Gardens in Strachur, bringing an outdated former sheltered housing development back into use as 16 modern homes.
The project provides a future to a development which had faced years of uncertainty following the withdrawal of revenue funding in 2017.
Originally comprising 21 predominantly small studio bungalows alongside communal facilities that were no longer fit for purpose, Manse Gardens had become largely underoccupied. Since 2022, Trust has worked with existing customers, Argyll and Bute Council, the Scottish Government, and project partners to find a way of retaining the homes while reshaping the site around current local housing need.
Work began in spring 2025, with five studio bungalows removed to create a new open space within the heart of the development. The remaining studio homes were each extended and all 16 homes refurbished. The result is a mix of 16 general needs homes, comprising 13 one-bedroom properties, two two-bedroom homes, and a three-bedroom family home.
All of the properties are now allocated, with six existing customers returning to Manse Gardens following completion of the works and new residents joining them to establish a renewed community.
New insulation, high heat-retention electric storage heating, solar panels, and battery storage have been introduced through a programme of energy efficiency improvements. All 16 homes have achieved EPC Band A. By retaining and upgrading much of the existing housing, the project has also achieved a lower carbon impact than wholesale demolition and new build.
Jackie McIntosh, chief executive at Trust, said, “Regeneration is not about starting again. At Manse Gardens, the right answer was to recognise the potential in what was already there, reshape it around local housing need and invest properly in its long-term future. That approach has allowed us to retain much-needed homes in Strachur, welcome existing customers back to a place they know, and create a development that performs to an exceptionally high environmental standard.”
With limited temporary housing available locally, Trust worked with the six existing customers during the redevelopment, including arranging accommodation at nearby Hunter’s Quay Holiday Park while works were carried out.
The works were delivered by TSL Contractors Limited, and Trust has been supported in the design and delivery of the project by ABC Architects, NBM Construction Cost Consultants, Carbon Futures, Mike Hyatt Landscape Architects, McDonald & Cameron Ltd and Green Home Systems Limited.
The cost of delivering the regeneration was met by Trust Housing Association, supported by funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme, Argyll & Bute Council’s Strategic Housing Fund, and a proportion of ECO4 grant funding.
Manse Gardens has now been shortlisted in the Excellence in Regeneration and Sustainability category at the 2026 CIH Scotland Housing Awards.
