SSEN Transmission has announced a major partnership with The Highland Council to refurbish long-term empty properties in Wick, bringing them back into use as modern, energy-efficient housing.

The project is part of SSEN Transmission's industry-first housing strategy, launched in autumn 2024, which pledges to support the delivery of 1,000 homes across the north of Scotland. This initiative aims to create a lasting legacy for communities hosting the workforce required for critical electricity grid upgrades, such as the Banniskirk Hub and the Spittal-Loch Buidhe-Beauly overhead line projects.

In Wick, 18 vacant properties on Wellington Street and Nicolson Street will undergo a complete modernisation. This includes the installation of new kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, and windows to ensure the homes meet high standards of comfort and sustainability.

Key project details:

• Investment: Over £1 million from SSEN Transmission.

• Contractor: GMR Henderson Builders Ltd, a Wick-based firm with 30 years of experience.

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• Supervision: Martin Associates, Chartered Building Surveyors.

• Timeline: On-site works are expected to begin in early 2026.

Initially, the homes will accommodate workers delivering major infrastructure projects in Caithness. Once these projects are completed, SSEN Transmission will hand all 18 upgraded properties back to The Highland Council for allocation to local tenants, providing a permanent boost to the area's social housing stock.

Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery at SSEN Transmission, said: "We are committed to delivering a positive legacy in Caithness from the grid upgrades needed to achieve energy security and clean power for the country, and permanent housing is a key part of that.

"As the first business to sign up to the Highland Social Value Charter, today's announcement for Wick shows how our commitments are being turned into bricks and mortar.

"Communities in Caithness and across the north of Scotland need good quality jobs to help sustain people and families in their local communities, and homes for them to live in. Upgrading the region's electricity grid will help deliver both of these vital objectives."

Highland Council Leader Raymond Bremner added: "Our Highland Social Value Charter is about ensuring that all areas of the Highlands benefit fully from the opportunities presented by renewable energy investment.

"Should developments get the go ahead, we want developers to build in a lasting legacy for our communities. Bringing long-term empty homes in Wick back into use is a positive step, and by making this agreement it strengthens ambitions to deliver more homes and meet the region's housing challenge."

This announcement follows similar housing commitments previously made by SSEN Transmission for communities in Aberdeenshire, Moray, the Western Isles, and Angus.