The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
£7.5m affordable homes scheme sees progress as design firm is appointed
A£7.5 million affordable housing drive across Moray has moved a step forward with a principal designer appointed to get the project moving.
Moray Council has appointed Hardies Property as cost consultant and principal designer for the first phase Dallas Dhu masterplan.
The project, which is on the Altyre Estate to the south of Forres, will have 24 affordable net-zero homes as well as 20 services plots for self-build projects.
The development is part of the Moray Growth Deal’s aim to deliver 300 new affordable homes across the region.
The first homes at Dallas Dhu are due for completion by 2026 with Edinburghbased Fraser/Livingstone Architects drawing up the first phase.
The Scottish Government has provided £5m to the scheme, which will also include developments in Elgin, Speyside and Buckie, and Moray Council is providing £2.5m.
Shirley Thomson, partner at Hardies, said: “We are delighted to be appointed to this exciting project that will see more affordable homes being built in an area with significant demand for housing to support the local economy.
“In addition to acting as cost consultant and principal designer for the masterplan, we will assume the role of employer’s agent for the affordable housing as the development progresses into the construction phase.”
Concerns about the lack of affordable housing stock in Moray have been growing for several years, with large developments already under way in the north and south of Elgin.
However, those concerns have heightened recently with house prices rising more rapidly in the region compared to the national average as the rise in home working has allowed city workers to move to the country.
The Moray Growth Deal housing project is a partnership between Moray Council, Altyre Estate, Grampian Housing Association and the Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre.
Councillor Marc Macrae, who chairs the council’s economic development and infrastructure committee, added: “The Dallas Dhu phase of the housing mix project presents a unique opportunity to create a sustainable new community for the people of Forres that will lead our transition to net zero through the provision of smart homes based on citizen wellbeing.
“I look forward to seeing the innovative designs come to life.”