Progress continues on new 2,000 council homes for Aberdeen
28 January 2021
Progress is continuing on Aberdeen City Council’s programme to build 2,000 new council homes, a committee heard today.
The members of the capital committee agreed a report which outlined the stages of the construction works at seven sites.
The report said that to date, the council has delivered 179 units at Smithfield and Manor Walk, purchased 86 units through the buy-back scheme, has entered two construction contracts at Summerhill and Wellheads to deliver 652 units, included a site at Kaimhill which includes an additional 36 units currently being developed at RIBA Stage 2, and developed RIBA Stage 1 proposals for all current committed council-led direct sites (circa 897units) including the wider Greenferns and Greenferns Landward Masterplan areas which could accommodate further development.
The updates also include that a procurement exercise has concluded for developer-led schemes, which recommended proceeding through a preferred bidder process with three sites proposed by two developers totalling an additional 723 units.
The construction of the 2,000 new homes is the biggest council house programme in Aberdeen in more than half a century, and the programme is providing high quality homes of differing sizes suitable for a range of tenants.
Aberdeen City Council capital committee convener Councillor Marie Boulton said: “It is fantastic to hear that progress is continuing well on building 2,000 new council homes for Aberdeen.
“I look forward to hearing the continued progress in the next few months and ultimately when the new homes are let to our tenants.”
The housing programme’s vision is person-centred and it is viewed from a resident’s perspective to reflect the diversity of people, homes and communities across Aberdeen. The vision is to create sustainable integrated communities and places, delivering affordable homes designed for life, which meet citizens’ current and changing needs, supporting the wellbeing and resilience of the City Council’s tenants.
The housing programme will demonstrate benefits which align with those identified in the Local Improvement Development Plan and the stretch outcomes detailed in the Local Outcome Improvement Plan (where possible). Programme benefits and community benefits will be measured throughout the programme on a continual basis. Additional project-specific benefits will be developed in due course.
Delivery of Gold Level technical standards across the housing programme was approved at city growth and resources committee last February and these standards have been incorporated in the high-level requirements document and form part of documentation for all the sites.
Landscape architects, acousticians and fire engineers have now been appointed for and designs are progressing with input from each consultant to support upcoming planning applications, the report to committee said.