Affordable housing welcomed

Families will receive the keys to the new properties in the Woodilee Village Development, between Lenzie and Kirkintilloch, later this month.

The homes, on the 210 acre site of the old Woodilee Hospital, were built by Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association at a cost of £4.5million.

A total of 29 flats have been offered for social rent to people on East Dunbartonshire Council’s waiting list.

Over 3,000 people are currently on the waiting list according to housing charity Shelter Scotland.

A further 12 Sanctuary-built flats will be sold through the Scottish Government’s shared equity scheme to first time buyers.

Sanctuary director Gordon Laurie said: “These 41 homes will help address the affordable housing shortage that affects East Dunbartonshire and the country as a whole. The Woodilee community will be enriched by the presence of families who might otherwise have been unable to live there.

“This project has progressed well since it began on site in February 2014. We look forward to handing over the keys to our homes to East Dunbartonshire families in the coming weeks.”

The homes are part of a wider redevelopment of the hospital site, which will see more than 800 properties created by a consortium of builders.

It was a condition of planning that the Woodilee site featured affordable properties, which were funded to the tune of £2.25million by the Scottish Government.

Councillor Ashay Ghai, convenor of neighbourhood services, said: “The development of 41 new homes is a really attractive looking housing development and I am so glad that so many of our tenants and people from our waiting list can now call them home.

“Understandably, applicants were delighted with their offer and particularly impressed by the enhanced specification and high quality of finish provided. Others have benefitted from the generous shared equity scheme. East Dunbartonshire tenants were given priority, allowing their homes to be freed up for others on our housing list.”