Five new care homes will be designed using an in-house design team and a traditional competitive tendering procedure in the Highlands.

In September 2007 the members of The Highland Council's Housing and Social Work Committee had agreed to a design and build method which would have involved the design and construction being procured as a single package of works.

Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of the Council's Housing and Social Work Committee said: "This traditional procurement route has been preferred as a result of an option appraisal by the Project Board. We believe it will produce the best results for this key project. In terms of in-house resources, we are now in a different place since last autumn, with the appointment of our new Director of Housing and Property, Steve Barron, and Head of Construction Gary Westwater, who have significantly strengthened the Housing and Property Service.

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"We will ensure that robust project monitoring is put in place for this extremely important project - not just to report back to Members of this Committee but also for the clients whose homes we are building."

Members agreed to the new care homes at Muir of Ord, Fort William, Inverness, Tain and Grantown on Spey being designed and built through a traditional procurement route, managed by the Council's Director of Housing and Property.

The agreed approach should see the care homes at Inverness, Muir of Ord and Fort William under construction at the beginning of 2010 and completed in early 2011.

Site issues at Tain and Grantown on Spey have yet to be agreed but development and completion is also targeted for 2011.

(GK/JM)