A new Aberdeen housing development could become the blueprint for how Scotland can speed up delivery of affordable homes.
The £19 million Persley Den development has created 150 high-quality, energy-efficient homes across five acres of land in the north of the city.
The project was delivered through a unique collaboration between Sanctuary Scotland, Cala Homes, Aberdeen City Council, and an £11.5million grant from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme.
The homes have been built by Sanctuary Scotland, facilitated by Cala Homes North’s development of the wider site at Southbank.
The development was made possible through close cooperation between public bodies and private developers – and similar models could be used to unlock further housing across Scotland.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Having a safe, warm and affordable place to call home can have a transformative impact on families and is a key driver to ending child poverty in Scotland.
“I am delighted that his project, supported by Scottish Government grants of over £11.5 million, will provide 150 homes for social rent. It’s a great example of how partnership working can help provide high-quality, efficient homes at pace, for people across Scotland.
“We are committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, 70% of which will be for social rent.”
Gillian Lavety, Development Director at Sanctuary Scotland, added: “This development is already making a real difference to families in Aberdeen.
“Partnership working can deliver high-quality homes and meet both the housing and environmental priorities of the government, and this is a shining example of that in action.”
Ross Maclennan, Land Director at Cala Homes, said: “This project shows what is possible when private development is enabled and supported.
“The affordable homes at Persley Den were delivered thanks to the wider residential development we are building here – unlocking sites like this is key to meeting housing demand at scale.”
Councillor Miranda Radley, Convener of Aberdeen City Council’s Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee, said: “I really welcome the building of more high-quality, warm and affordable homes in the city.
“This development is an excellent example of the public and private sector working together to deliver for the people of Aberdeen and I look forward to seeing future developments coming forward.”
Southbank by Cala Homes – situated by Aberdeen’s River Don – offers a mix of 3, 4, and 5-bedroom homes, as well as 1 and 2-bedroom contemporary apartments.
With more than 90% of the properties already sold, a limited number of homes are still available for purchase.
Cala is currently investing in multiple new housing developments across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, with several hundred new homes due to be delivered in the next year.
