Contractor Bancon has completed work on the first new council houses to be built to the Gold Standard in Aberdeen.

The development at Cloverhill in the Bridge of Don will provide 536 homes which will be a mixture of flats, cottage flats, and two, three, and four bedroom houses. The design specification for Gold Standard requires energy efficient technologies that make homes greener and cheaper to run, enhanced space standards, and increased natural light.

The first 36 homes in the development have been handed over to the City Council from the main contractor Bancon. Cloverhill is one of several sites across Aberdeen where Aberdeen City Council is building new council houses – the only council in Scotland to be building new council houses on this scale and to the Gold Standard.

The work forms part of the wider Aberdeen City Council Housing Programme aiming to address a long-term shortage of affordable social rented housing in the city. Work is also being carried out at Summerhill, Tillydrone and Kaimhill, and two other tenders for new council housing projects in Kincorth are expected to be issued later this year.

Aberdeen City Council Net Zero, Environmental and Transport Vice Convener Councillor Miranda Radley said: "I'm delighted to see the first new council houses built to the Gold Standard complete and ready for our tenants to move into.

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"Our council house-building programme is providing high quality homes of differing sizes suitable for a range of tenants in community settings around the city and these new properties will also contribute to the city’s move to net zero.

"Cloverhill is a significant development which will see 536 top class council homes added to the council’s housing stock and I look forward to seeing the rest of these energy-efficient new homes being handed over to the City Council in the coming months."

The vision of the Aberdeen City Council's Housing Programme is to create sustainable integrated communities and places by delivering affordable homes designed for life which meet residents’ current and changing needs, while supporting the wellbeing and resilience of tenants.

They will meet the most demand for council properties including flats for single people, flats for families, terraced houses, wheelchair-friendly properties, and a small number of amenity bungalows. They are being designed for exacting standards including housing for various needs, dementia friendly, low carbon, low maintenance, and to meet the Gold Standard.

Bancon Operations Director Jamie Tosh said: "We are proud to be playing an integral role in the delivery of such a major affordable housing contract for Aberdeen City Council, and are pleased to show our support for Aberdeen’s drive to net zero.

"As a company, we aim to build vibrant communities with amenities where residents can thrive, and we hope that Cloverhill will achieve that for many years to come."

Faithful+Gould (a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group), which provides provide strategic programme, project management, quantity surveying services, administration and principal designer services, has been appointed to the Cloverhill project. Tom McDougall, Director at Faithful+Gould, said: "As we all know there is a huge demand for social housing, and homes of all types across the country right now, so we are acutely aware of the importance of this scheme for Aberdeen City Council, and the value it will bring to these communities for generations.

"Working in partnership with the city council is highly rewarding as the first 36 units are now being delivered on the Cloverhill site, which will see a total of 536 by completion. These are Gold Standard homes that not only meet the sustainable needs of the community, but are in a setting which is affordable and designed to meet the varying needs and wellbeing of the tenants."