Almost 100 new Gold Standard council houses finished
Work has totally finished and tenants are moving into a development of new council flats which are part of a programme building 2,000 new council houses across Aberdeen. The development at Auchmill near Bucksburn is one of nine sites across the city where Aberdeen City Council is building new council houses – the only council in Scotland to be building new council houses on this scale and to the Gold Standard.
The Auchmill development will provide 92 homes including a mixture of two to eight people flats and wheelchair-designed flats. The major project which is providing council homes across the city is one of several sites across Aberdeen which form part of the wider Aberdeen City Council’s housing programme aiming to address a long-term shortage of affordable social rented housing in the city.
The homes at Auchmill, with Ogilvie Construction as main contractor, are designed to a Gold Standard level of energy efficiency throughout and low maintenance external amenity spaces as well as creation of a new ramp to the A96 which will provide safer access and support more walking, cycling, and wheeling through Active Travel.
The design specification for Gold Standard requires energy efficient technologies that make homes greener and cheaper to run, enhanced sound transference, and increased natural light.
“These new homes will not only be energy efficient but also low maintenance and built to an extremely high quality in the industry-recognised Gold Standard.”
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill said: “These new homes are designed to help meet the areas of greatest demand for council homes, including for families, single people, and wheelchair-friendly.
“I am delighted that high quality council homes of differing sizes suitable for a range of tenants will help make a real positive difference to the lives of residents.”
Donald MacDonald, Managing Director, Ogilvie Construction, said: “We are proud to have built these high-quality homes for Aberdeen City Council. Residents will enjoy the benefits of innovative, modern living space built to meet their needs and incorporating effective energy efficient designs.”
The vision of Aberdeen City Council’s new housing programme is to create sustainable integrated communities and places by delivering affordable homes designed for life which meet residents’ current and changing needs, while supporting the wellbeing and resilience of tenants.
They will meet the most demand for council properties including flats for single people, flats for families, terraced houses, wheelchair-friendly properties, and a small number of amenity bungalows. They are being designed for exacting standards including housing for various needs, dementia friendly, low carbon, low maintenance, and to meet the Gold Standard.
