| Balgowan councillor Rikki Beattie has welcomed the plans for 34 new houses on Keswick Terrace and Ashmore Street and said the development would be “a huge pat on the back” for the people of Kirkton.
The plans feature in a special DVD created to show the changes in 60 years of the area’s history.
Servite Housing Association, who is behind the new development, today presented Kirkton Community Library with 10 copies of the short film which features local residents and uses still pictures to tell the story.
The new homes, set for completion in 2006, will be a mix of semi-detached family homes, flats, and accommodation designed for wheelchair users.
There are also plans to install a special communal heating and power system to substantially reduce residents’ energy bills.
Largely financed by Communities Scotland, the development will cost in the region of £3.5m.
Councillor Beattie said he was excited about the plans as they marked another positive step on the road to regeneration for the area.
“The local people have been heavily involved in the consultation carried out in advance of the project and Servite have been very good at keeping everyone involved and taking their concerns and ideas into consideration.
“This is the type of housing people need as there is a lot of pressure on housing for the disabled, elderly, and also young families.”
Councillor Beattie also welcomed the fact that due to the houses being constructed by a housing association, they would only be available to rent and could not be lost to private ownership through the right-to-buy system.
One of the area’s earliest residents, Bette Adese, has lived in Kirkton for 59 years and features on the new DVD.
Bette moved from a tenement on Blackness Road, in the west end of the city, to Ulverston Terrace in Kirkton, in 1946.
She recalled the new housing that was erected after the war was a big improvement on the tenements, but thinks the new houses will be an even bigger boost for the locality.
“I love living here and would not stay anywhere else.
“The new houses will bring in some new blood to the area which can only be a good thing.”
Julie Cosgrove, chief executive of Servite, said, “We wanted to record the history of the site and let people see our plans for the area.
“Through the efforts of the city council and local residents, the area has been transformed and there have been huge improvements in the Kirkton environment that we wanted to highlight.” |
