Perth & Kinross Council has announced a £3 million development of 18 new flats for affordable social rent has been completed on the site of the former Fairfield Community Centre in Perth.

The two-bedroom flats will provide additional, much-needed social housing for tenants in the city.

The properties, built in two blocks and part-funded by the Scottish Government, are all linked to solar panels and are insulated to the highest standard to help keep tenants' energy bills as low as possible and reduce the carbon footprint of the development.

Some of the ground floor flats have been fitted to be wheelchair accessible to support independent living for people with particular housing needs.

The development, built by the Council's construction partner Hadden Homes, occupies the site of the former Fairfield Community Centre which had to be demolished due to its dangerous condition. There was a clear demand for more social housing within the Fairfield areas and it was agreed that the site, owned by Perth and Kinross Council, would be used for affordable housing.

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Perth and Kinross Council took forward the development to completion, and it has been agreed that the properties will be leased to Kingdom Housing Association. This will provide a standardised service to all tenants living in the area, given Kingdom Housing Association (KHA) had taken over the housing stock in the area following a transfer from Fairfield Housing Association.

KHA are members of the Perth and Kinross Common Housing Register and so the flats have been allocated in the same way, and from the same waiting-list, as would be the case if the Council was letting them directly.

The Council's Housing and Social Wellbeing Committee Convener, Councillor Tom McEwan, visited the site today to tour the new development. He said: "I'm incredibly pleased that these brand-new flats on this important community site are now available to tenants. They have been built to a very high standard and are a valuable and welcome addition to the social housing stock in Perth and Kinross.

"Leasing the completed units to Kingdom Housing Association on a long-term basis will provide stability for the local community. This proposal will consolidate Kingdom's position as estate manager, with no impact for the Council or for applicants looking to access social housing."

Susan McDonald, KHA Executive Director of Operations, added: ''The new homes delivered by our partners at Perth and Kinross Council are in the heart of the Fairfield estate and bring more high-quality affordable housing options to the area. The long-term lease to Kingdom will allow us to make sure our customers quickly become part of the local community and benefit from the many enhanced services we already offer to our customers including energy and money advice as we support them through the cost-of-living crisis.

"We look forward to welcoming customers into their new homes, who I am sure will enjoy living in Fairfield. The flats will help add vibrancy to the local community and we are delighted to take on the new properties."