Work has begun on the construction of a £1.7m, 15 flat, development at Cherrybank, Newton Mearns, which will be available for affordable rent by November this year.

Link Housing Association acquired the site from Mactaggart & Mickel using funding provided by the Scottish Government. Designed and built by Mactaggart & Mickel, the properties will meet Link design standards for affordable housing.

Link worked closely with East Renfrewshire Council, the Scottish Government and Mactaggart & Mickel to agree costs and timescales for the project.

In order to see how work was progressing East Renfrewshire Council leader Jim Fletcher and housing convener Councillor Danny Devlin recently visited the development along with Link’s chief executive Craig Sanderson and senior development officer Hazel Boyd, and contracts manager Jamie McLean and site agent John Kelly from Mactaggart & Mickel.

-- Advertisement --

Link Group Chief Executive, Craig Sanderson, said: “These high quality flats will contribute to alleviating the need for affordable homes in Newton Mearns and we look forward to continuing to work with the local community and East Renfrewshire Council as the development takes shape.”

East Renfrewshire Council’s housing convener, Councillor Danny Devlin, said: “East Renfrewshire has the highest house prices in Scotland and there’s a real danger of people being priced out of the market which has a knock-on effect for our local communities. Making local housing more affordable for local people can only benefit our communities in East Renfrewshire in the short and long term.”

The 15 properties consist of three and four bedroom apartments with one flat specifically designed to meet the needs of a wheelchair user. The properties are part of a larger development being built by Mactaggart & Mickel.

(GK)