Kingdom Housing Association's development with Campion Homes in Cupar Muir, Fife, has been awarded Secured By Design (SBD) Gold Accreditation, from Police Scotland.

Secured By Design is a national police initiative that improves the security of buildings and their immediate surroundings to provide safe places to live, work and visit.

Campion Homes developed the 25 new homes at Cupar Muir, a range of two, three and four bed houses as well as amenity home, suitable for older people or tenants with particular housing needs.

Stuart Ward, Police Scotland's national designing out crime manager, explained that the SBD award's proven crime prevention techniques include incorporating natural surveillance and limiting through-movement with layout and landscaping as well as increasing the physical security of buildings to include attack-resistant doors, windows and locks.

He added: "The benefits of building to SBD security standards are wider than just security in that significant reductions in maintenance and repair costs can be achieved. For police, falling crime reduces demands on services and enables us to focus on other priorities."

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A study taken from more than 150 Kingdom Housing Association developments across Fife, showed a marked drop in crimes on the SBD developments compared to non-SBD developments over the 18 year period between 1997 and 2015.

The study showed that 3,000 homes built to the SBD standard have had 87% fewer crimes recorded.

Mr Ward also said: "The recorded crime results came back and they were quite conclusive. Overall 87% fewer crimes were committed against Secured by Design properties. That's no small figure. Secured by Design makes a massive difference to reducing the opportunities for crime and the amount of crimes that have actually occurred."

Dougie Herd, joint managing director of Campion Homes, said: "Nothing is more important to us than the safety and security of our houses and of the tenants who call them home. The evidence is clear, Secured By Design has a very real positive impact on the number of crimes recorded and that, in turn, has a very real positive impact on people's lives. We're proud to receive Gold Secured By Design for the development at Cupar Muir."

The total cost of Kingdom's development was around £3.8 million with £1.9 million provided by the Scottish Government and in addition to being safe and secure, the new homes are also highly energy efficient with 'A' rated dual-zone combi boilers with flue gas heat recovery systems included as well as photovoltaic panels.

Bill Banks, Kingdom Group chief executive, added: "We couldn't be happier with the standard of homes built for us by Campion Homes at Cupar Muir. The setting is idyllic and I know our tenants will be able to enjoy their safe, warm and efficient home for many years to come. We have been developing to Secured by Design Standards since 1997 and the enhanced safety and security standards provided are appreciated by tenants.

"Through incorporating the standards as part of our mainstream design criteria it helps promote the benefits and encourages other developers, contractors and housing providers to adopt a similar approach."

(MH/CM)