Ten new council homes have been completed in Invergordon, as The Highland Council works towards its 257-house project target with support from the Scottish Government.

The construction of the council houses was undertaken in partnership with Albyn Housing Society.

Albyn has completed an additional 14 affordable units on the site.

The Highland Council has said it is aiming for 5,000 new homes in the Highlands by 2017, including 600 council houses.

The Joss Street homes opened on Monday and are designed to be energy efficient, actually exceeding the current energy ratings set by Building Standards.

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The heating systems are fuelled by mains gas, are powered by a combi-boiler and benefit from under floor heating.

The properties have been built upon the Council’s redeveloped town centre site.

Now, all the units have been rented to tenants who are either existing council tenants transferring to a new home or are applicants from the Highland Housing Register.

The Council will retain ownership and management of the ten houses.

Local contractor O’Brien Properties undertook the construction of the Albyn flats. The architect was Trevor Black Associates and the Quantity Surveyor was Torrance Partnership; both based in Invergordon.

The ten homes cost £0.973m, with £300,000 of grant funding from the Scottish Government.

The new tenants at Joss Street were welcomed by Councillor Dave Fallows, Chairman of the Finance Housing and Resources Committee, and Ward Member for Cromarty Firth, Councillor Martin Rattray.

Councillor Fallows said: "All over the Highlands, after a gap of far too many years, we can once again build council houses. For the tenants of these marvelous new houses, this is the answer to a prayer of a permanent home at an affordable cost."

(IT)