Joy as 101 new homes bid moves a step closer
JACK THOMSON
LOCAL DEMOCRACY REPORTER
The construction of 101 homes in the Tannahill area of Ferguslie Park is edging closer after Renfrewshire Council identified a contractor.
Councillors will be asked to rubber-stamp the award of a £13.2 million contract to AS Homes at the Finance, Resources and Customer Services Policy Board tomorrow.
If elected members give their seal of approval, the anticipated official date of award will be October 9.
From then the housebuilder will be given a 32-week allowance for design and a further 78 weeks for construction.
John McIntyre, chairman of Ferguslie Community Council, expressed his joy at seeing another part of the process move towards completion.
He said: “Around 100 brand new council houses is the best news we have heard in a long time.
“The tenants and residents will at long last no longer have to stay in damp, dilapidated housing conditions.
“They are looking forward to visiting similar new council houses being build to give them a sense of what is to come.
“On a personal basis, I never thought I would see new council homes being built in Ferguslie Park.
“It’s clear to me that when you get the community involved and organised, anything is possible.”
The blueprint for the newbuild houses was initially given the go ahead at a Communities, Housing and Planning Policy Board in late October.
The phased construction of a range of different homes, designed and built to meet the needs of existing and future tenants, should begin next year.
Council tenants of properties which are subject to demolition, as part of the process, will be offered suitable alternative housing, such as moving into a new-build home or transferring to another Renfrewshire Council house.
Housing staff will discuss a range of options with private owners and provide housing options to tenants of private landlords.
Housing convener, Councillor Marie McGurk, described the plans as “a significant step forward” at the end of last year.
She said: “This investment in Ferguslie Park housing means tenants and residents who live in the Tannahill area will be able to stay here and the design of the new homes will be based on what they want and need.
“It is a significant step forward as we improve the quality of available housing in Ferguslie Park and is just the start as we are working on wider housingled regeneration plans over the coming years.”
I never thought I would see new council homes being built in Ferguslie Park