Work starts on amenity housing

Daniel Lowe cuts the first sod on site watched by council officers and contractors.

Built on twin sites off Kirkton Road and Union Street, occupied formerly by South Lanarkshire Council’s Q and A office and a garage, the development comprises 18 high-quality amenity flats and is expected to be completed by next spring.

Daniel Lowe, the council’s executive director of housing and technical resources, who carried out the traditional cutting of the first sod, said he was delighted to officially start the construction phase.

He continued: “Improving the quality and range of housing suitable for meeting a wider range of needs is a key strand of South Lanarkshire Council’s Local Housing Strategy, and the council’s Home+ new-build programme provides an important opportunity to address the needs of older residents and people with particular needs.

“These flats are specifically designed to be suitable for older people and this is something that is greatly needed in Carluke. Built to the latest standards of accessibility these spacious amenity flats incorporate a range of design features that will enable older people to live independently in their own homes, for longer.

“The council’s Home+ programme, supported by Scottish Government affordable housing grant subsidy, continues to make good progress in delivering new homes to tenants throughout South Lanarkshire.

“With 168 new homes complete to date, and a further nine projects scheduled to deliver a further 210 homes in 2018/19 on sites in Clydesdale, East Kilbride, Hamilton and Blantyre, we are well on our way to delivering our target of 1000 homes by 2021.”

The development will comprise three blocks of six flats with associated car parking and landscaping. The three-storey buildings will be of modern design using composite materials on the external walls and will have solar panels installed on the roofs.

The development will be constructed by Glasgow-based company CCG (Scotland) Ltd and will be developed and managed by the local authority to provide amenity housing.

Alastair Wylie, CCG chairman and chief executive, said: “With an ageing population, the construction of these amenity flats will go a long way to supporting the needs of the community and, with CCG’s construction experience, we will ensure that they are delivered to the highest standards of quality and environmental efficiency.”