The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
£10m housing development opens in Perth
Anew £10 million a f fordab le h o u s i n g development has been opened by a Perth charity.
The 48- home scheme was funded by the Gannochy Trust to recreate the ethos of its founder, AK Bell, and his original Gannochy housing estate which was built in the Fair City between 1923 and 1931.
Located off Gannochy Road, the estate aims to improve health , accessibility and connectiveness for tenants, with the “flexibility adapt to their needs” circumstances change.
The development took two years to build and will provide accommodation for families, single people and those who require additional support to live in their own home.
The trust says the houses have been built with three core principles in mind – healthy homes for life, lifetime neighbourhoods and high-quality design.
David Gray, chairman of the Gannochy Trust, said: “The trust is proud to launch 48 new affordable to as homes in Perth that provide a h e a l t h y, communal environment for our tenants.
“The new development builds upon AK Bell ’s forward-thinking vision to create healthy, affordable homes for the local community.
“A range of communal areas h av e also been incorporated into the development to encourage community engagement and interaction.
“The d e v e l o p m e n t ’s ‘ lifetime neighbourhoods’ principle encourages the growth of strong, lasting
communities, as well as improving accessibility for people with special needs, including dementia.”
The scheme has also incorporated “sitooteries” designed to encourage residents to go outside in a safe, controlled area.
It was opened by Deputy First Mi n i s t e r John
Swinney, who welcomed collaboration between the trust, the Ma c k i n t o s h Env i ronmen ta l Architecture Research Unit at Glasgow School of Art and the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre.
The SNP MSP said: “The expansion has added
much-needed high-quality affordable homes for the people of Perthshire.
“It demonstrates how the support of the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre can link creative research from the Glasgow School of Art to tackle construction industr y challenges in designing healthy homes.”