Delivered in partnership with The JR Group, the landmark project comprises a selection of two, three and four-bedroomed houses and includes a number of wheelchair-accessible bungalows which offer a selection of adaptations and will have a positive impact for tenants such as David Jackson, who struggles with the stairs in his current home.
David, who attended the official launch ceremony earlier this week, said ‘It’s going to be great not having to worry about getting up and down stairs any more. This is a new start for me and having a home like this is really going to make a huge difference to my life.’
The Scott family are also excited about moving into their new home. Mum, Sara, explains ‘Our eldest daughter can’t wait to start arranging her room and, with another one on the way, we’re really looking forward to having more space and a secure garden for the kids to play in. It will be lovely to meet all of our new neighbours too’.
Featuring a host of sustainability measures designed to meet energy and heating gold standards, each home incorporates photovoltaic solar panels and enhanced wall, floor and roof insulation. Several homes are also being used to trial new, more environmentally friendly, electric battery storage technology.
To promote eco-diversity, bird and bat boxes have been installed on some of the properties and an existing wildflower meadow has been retained with new footpaths created to enhance the natural environment. The local playpark has also been upgraded as part of the associated community benefits programme.
Speaking at the launch event, Chief Executive, Nicki Donaldson, said, ‘We are delighted to have worked with The JR Group to deliver these impressive new affordable homes in this spacious new development. As an organisation, we are committed to building sustainable communities for the benefit of current and future tenants, so it’s been wonderful to see this project come to life and to meet some of the new residents.
‘The green credentials included in this build continue to show our commitment to delivering against the climate agenda and the environmental impacts associated with this, and we are confident tenants will love their new homes and enjoy being part of the wider community forged here.’
Gary McGregor, Managing Director, at The JR Group, said: ‘It is great to see the project at Glen Albyn reach completion and be handed over to our client. These new homes are high quality and have a strong environmental focus, which reflects more accurately how we live today and how we will live in the future. The sustainability elements we have built into the development are key to the project, and we are incredibly proud of what we have delivered for our clients Fife Housing Group and for the Kirkcaldy community.
‘The JR Group is committed to supporting the communities in which it operates, and we have worked collaboratively with Fife Housing Group throughout the project to support the individual needs of the local area including the upgrading of the local play area and carrying out landscaping works to the garden of Torbain Primary School.’
The Glen Albyn development marks the first time Fife Housing Group and The JR Group have worked together. We also worked closely with a range of partners, including architect Oliver & Robb, employer’s agent Hardies, and engineers Bayne Stevenson Associates, to deliver this project.
