01 October 2001

Record Funding For £17m Link Development

The first stage of the Link Group's £17 million development of the Petersburn Estate in Airdrie opened today to mark the biggest funding ever by Scottish Homes.

Local MSP Karen Whitfield, Scottish Homes chief executive Bob Millar, and North Lanarkshire Council housing convenor Gerry McLaughlin helped open the first phase of Link's new redevelopment.

The redevelopment has attracted grant funding of £12.4 million - the biggest ever offer made by Scottish Homes, the national housing agency.

The first phase involves 60 homes of a total of 245 due to be completed over the next four years. As well as 205 homes for rent there will be 40 properties for shared ownership.

The new build houses will replace more than 200 dwellings originally built in the 1960s.

The main contractor in this innovative "Volume Procurement" project - the first of its kind in Scotland - is D. Campbell & Co, who have been able to employ a number of apprentices on the contract, thereby creating local construction employment and training opportunities.

Linkwide, the social inclusion company within the newly formed Link Group, has also been active in the area.

Proposals have been produced for the installation of CCTV for local shops and community facilities, the development of a community park and the establishment of a local Environmental Initiative offering further training opportunities. Linkwide also involved local schoolchildren in a competition to choose street names.

Link Group chairman, Douglas Sievewright, said: "We are delighted to see the first phase of the Petersburn redevelopment completed and look forward to taking this exciting work forward.

"We will continue to work with our partners and the local community not only to provide high quality housing but to strengthen the community and improve its facilities and we are actively discussing the prospect of forming a Petersburn Partnership in the longer term."

Local tenant, Mrs Brady, said: "You can't really compare this house to the old one. I feel secure in this house. I finally have a house I can be proud of, everyone who has moved in so far feels that way."

Neighbour, Mrs Begg, said that she had recently injured her back and been forced to use sticks. This had underlined the convenient layout of the new houses to her.

She said: "With no step at the front door and where the switches and sockets have been placed I have found it easy to get around."

Managing director of D. Campbell & Co. Alistair Wylie, said: "We are delighted to be spearheading an initiative of this scale and type in Scotland.

"The added value of delivering the training dimension demonstrates our on- going commitment to the social inclusion programme."

For more information see www.karenwhitefield.com

Photos: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Page last updated on Wednesday, 23 July 2008