Tenants welcome plan

Council approves bid to build affordable houses

PLANS to build 32 new affordable houses on a derelict site in Dundee have been welcomed by a city tenants’ group.

Proposals by developer Cruden Homes to build the properties on the site oftheformerLonghaughNeighbourhood Centre at Pitkerro Road have been approved by the city council.

The community centre was demolished on the 1.2-hectare site at the north end of Pitkerro Road behind an Iceland store and has remained empty.

Jim Cochrane, chairman of Dundee Federation of Tenants and Residents Association, said the approval is “good news” for the city.

Mr Cochrane said: “There has been a crying need for more affordable housing in Dundee for a number of years now. It’s always welcome news when affordable housing is granted permission by the local authority.

“This site has lain empty for a number of years now and is an ideal location for further housing of this type. We still need more now at a time when there are obviously considerable financial constraints on the local authority and housing associations.”

Architect for the developer, Hackland and Dore, said an opportunity exists to “revitalise and enhance” the site by providing social housing for the Home Group Housing Association.

The architects’ design brief states: “The principle is to redevelop this suburban, brownfield site and realise its potential by accommodating 32, twostorey residential plots with associated car parking and landscaping to provide quality, affordable housing to the Pitkerro area.”

The report added: “The housing mix has been determined by Home Group to satisfy housing needs in the area and includes a mix of larger family semidetached housing with smaller terraced accommodation and two-storey cottage flats, including three wheelchair units.”

Stuart Dixon, head of development at Home Group (Scotland) , said: “The site has previously been granted residential planning permission and as a brownfield site we feel we can bring it back into productive use.”

Ourvoice PAGE 16

A 3D image of how the new homes could look. Inset, Jim Cochrane.