Old Folks Homes Demolition Is Foundation For £15M Housing Seal

Two old folks homes will be demolished and two council depots sold off to make way for a £15million development bringing 138 new affordable houses to central Peebles.

The arrangement involves the social work and technical services (roads) departments of Scottish Borders Council, Eildon Housing Association and the Scottish Executive’s social housing agency Communities Scotland which will provide the lion’s share of £11million.

The announcement brings an end to the search for alternative provision for residents in both SBC’s 33-bed Dunwhinny Lodge and Margaret Blackwood-owned Tweedbridge Court, which accommodates both the elderly and disabled. Neither facility complies with Care Commission standards.

Also underpinning the four-year deal is a shortage of sheltered housing and an over-reliance on care homes in a town where the number of people aged 65 and over is due to increase by 3,247 to 4,553 or 15 per cent by 2020.

Under the new arrangement, SBC will sell its road depots at Dovecot and George Street to Eildon which will build 65 houses for older people. Residents of Dunwhinny and Tweedbridge Court will be guaranteed units in this “housing with care” development.

The residential homes themselves will also be sold to Eildon, demolished and replaced with 67 mainstream affordable (rented) units. Another six will be created on a gap site, currently owned by SBC, in Cleland Avenue.

“We have been looking for a ‘breakway site’ for Dunwhinny, which is no longer fit for purpose, for some time and provision on the council depot land provides the perfect answer,” said social work director Andrew Lowe.

This “best value” solution, linked to social care and wholly managed by registered social landlord Eildon, is what convinced Communities Scotland to back the project.

As a bonus for the council, the cash it receives from the sale of its land – around £1.4million – will be set against the provision of a new £3.4million state-of-the-art depot, covering the whole of Peeblesshire, at the former gas works at nearby Eshiels. Special contamination land grants from the government and cash already held by the council for the sale of other capital assets will reduce the funding gap to just £460,000.

The council’s contribution to the housing programme – just over £1million – which will be met over the next four years by Council Tax income generated by second home owners.

Mr Lowe said residents of the two care homes had nothing to fear. They would not be required to vacate for around three years and consultation on their future had already begun.

Council leader David Parker believes his executive will unanimously support SBC’s land disposal and relocation plans. “This will be the catalyst for a £15million affordable housing investment in a town which needs it very badly. It’s the best news we can give the people of Peebles.”

Councillor Carolyn Riddell-Carre, social work portfolio holder, added: “It will be lovely for people to be able to go out their front door, even if assisted, and walk no distance to the shops or to meet friends. This is an excellent example of making the best possible use of council assets.”

Richard Davies, SBC’s head of service for housing and social work, said he hoped the partnership approach and the strong social work element of the Peebles strategy could be honed and applied to bring similar benefits to other Borders towns, notably Hawick where Communities Scotland have so far been reluctant to release funding for a major demolition and revamp programme of problem flats.