Work on six new homes suitable for wheelchair users in Inverness is now complete.

Tenents have now moved into their new homes on Old Edinburgh Road, which comprise five semi-detached single-storey houses and two bungalows.

The £846,000 development was built by O'Brien Properties, which started construction work on site in March last year. The homes feature wider doors and halls, level access showers and height adjustable wash hand basins, sinks and worktops suitable for a hob and an oven housing which can accommodate a traditional oven or a microwave at waist height.

In addition, the living areas have full height windows and glazed doors that open out onto a back patio and provide unimpeded views from a seated position, while each property also has its own loc-bloc driveway to provide parking close to the front door. A roof overhang has also been developed to provide shelter from the rain.

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The houses are also well insulated and have gas combi boilers which provide instant hot water and heating, while photo-voltaic panels on the roof generate electricity to keep the tenants' fuel costs low.

Up to £342,000 of grant funding was provided by the Scottish Government towards the scheme.

Vice Chair of the Council's Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Cllr Trish Robertson, said: "I am delighted to welcome Mr and Mrs Davidson into their new home. I'm sure all the special accessible features included in the design will greatly benefit them and the other new tenants. I would also like to thank everyone involved in the project for all their hard work.

"Having the Council's in-house design team work so closely with the NHS Occupational team from the very start has certainly helped to create homes that cater for the individual needs of the people living in them. It's a great example of partnership working and everyone involved should feel very proud."

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: "I am delighted to see these six high quality, affordable new homes completed by the Highland Council. These homes, with the designs accommodating a number of accessibility features, can offer life changing solutions for the new tenants and reaffirm our commitment to building a new generation of affordable council housing that meet people's needs."

Cllr Trish Robertson; Mairi Ross Grey, More Homes Division Manager, Highlands, Islands & Moray & Cllrs Isabelle MacKenzie and Ian Brown are pictured welcoming Mr and Mrs Davidson to their new home.

(LM/MH)