Midlothian Council has officially handed over the 500th house in its newbuild programme.

The event also saw Midlothian Council Leader Councillor Derek Milligan call on the Scottish Government to increase financial support for local authority house building programmes.

Midlothian Council is the first local authority in the UK to build 500 Council houses in a generation. So far, the Council has spent £63,733,947 on the New Build Programme. The total budget for the Programme is £104,197,000.

Midlothian Council Leader Derek Milligan said: “Local authorities cannot fund the provision of new affordable housing on their own. It is essential that the Scottish Government continues to recognise the need to assist local authorities in progressing Scotland’s council housing build programmes. The Government must increase the level of funding it provides if councils are to keep building affordable homes for families.

“Midlothian Council is delighted at reaching the 500th house in our newbuild programme. Providing new accommodation to rent in tandem with our transfer led policy has ensured that 780 families have been given the opportunity to improve their living environment and their quality of life.”

The Council’s New Build Programme has created properties which are not only aesthetically appealing but also practical for ‘whole life living’.

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The quality of housing which is being produced has been recognised by the Industry. The development which hosts the 500th house was nominated as a 2010 finalist in the Scottish Home Awards for Small Affordable Housing Development of the Year.

All ground and first floor accommodation has private garden space. Private entrances are available for as many residences as possible. To maximise the number of tenants with their own front door, two storey accommodation has been utilised where possible and three storey accommodation kept to a minimum.

The Council operates a transfer led policy. This strategy is designed to meet the demand for housing from all applicants by targeting first lets to council tenants who require alternative housing to meet their needs which in turn frees up their house for allocation to an applicant on the Direct waiting list.

Each of the new housing areas has been based on the same principles but has each benefited from a slightly different design approach, for example some areas are predominantly brick houses and others are roughcast. The look of each housing area has been selected to complement the surrounding community and existing houses. This approach has successfully led to kerb appeal and encourages the creation of sustainable communities.

The new houses are also highly practical for ‘whole life living’. This concept ensures houses are designed with the tenants’ ongoing needs in mind and meet ‘housing for varying needs’ (HFVN) requirements. If, for example, a tenant develops a disability the house is designed to be easily adapted to accommodate their new requirements. The newbuild programme has included an allocation of houses which go beyond HFVN criteria. These houses provide accommodation for wheelchair users and include turning circle spaces, level access, rise and fall sinks and covered car ports.

Houses which have been provided by Midlothian Council as part of the newbuild programme so far also have a high level of insulation and efficient combi-boilers which makes them cheaper to keep. The two most recent developments have levels of insulation which go beyond the regulation requirement, providing tenants with a number of benefits.

The Midlothian Council newbuild programme has been delivered in partnership with: Aecom; ASSIST Architects Ltd; Baxter, Clark & Paul (Edinburgh) Ltd; Bracewell Stirling Consultants; City Plumbing Supplies (part of the Travis Perkins Group); Community Energy Scotland; Hackland and Dore Architects Ltd; Hart Builders (Edinburgh) Ltd; Lovell Partnerships Ltd; Moores Furniture Group Limited; and Smith & Frater Ltd.

(GK/KMcA)