Robertson Construction Eastern Ltd has been appointed to build new council homes in Aberdeen in phase two of the City Council's new-build housing programme.

The company will create a Homezone scheme, with a courtyard layout to encourage social interaction and create sheltered, useable, external spaces on the site of the former Marchburn Infant School.

More than a third of the Northfield site will be retained as public amenity space which will enhance the surrounding areas.

Thirty five properties will be built on the site, which will have a mix of home types and sizes, including two and three bedroom family homes. They will all be environmentally sustainable, quality properties. Parking spaces will be provided within the Homezone.

The concept of a Homezone is to change the way streets are used and to improve quality of life, by making them places for people, not just traffic, so that the needs of car drivers are secondary to the needs of users of the street.

A Homezone is essentially a combination of elements that work to limit the volume and/or speed of traffic whilst creating places for play, resting and gathering for residents.

Housing and environment convener Aileen Malone said: "The appointment of Robertson Construction, which follows a robust tendering process, means that work can now begin on building these much-needed new homes.

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"The new build council housing programme gives us an opportunity to create inspirational 21st century housing which is high quality, energy efficient and incorporates a degree of flexibility to meet the future needs of tenants.

"More and more people are in need of council housing, because of the current economic climate, and this is reflected in an ever-growing waiting list. I'm sure that everyone who is waiting for an affordable rented home will be as excited as I am at the prospect of seeing this new social housing taking shape.

"This will be a great boon to many families who are waiting for good, affordable rented housing in Aberdeen and I look forward to welcoming our new tenants next year."

Vice-convener John Corall added: "Many folk have left the city because of the lack of affordable housing and now after many years of no build we aim to rebuild this city with the first new council housing in decades.

"The inclusion in the design of the Homezone concept is a welcome addition our new build strategies. This type of environment works very successfully in Denmark in particular and we want to ensure that the new residents' quality of life is maximised."

Work is already under way on phase one of the new-build programme, which will see the creation of up to 85 new homes at Hayton Road in Tillydrone, Byron Park in Northfield and Rorie Hall in Cults. The first tenants are expected to move in next year.

The council plans to continue to build more new homes – both for general needs and special needs - which will make a significant contribution to meeting the needs and demands of our citizens and help stop the flow of households from the city to Aberdeenshire.

Aberdeen City Council's new-build programme is being funded by the housing revenue account and £3 million from the Scottish Government's Incentivising New Council House Building fund.

The Marchburn development, has received £875,000 (£25,000 per unit) of "Incentivising New Council House Building" grant monies from the Scottish Government.

Work is due to begin in December and the target completion date is December 2011.

(GK)