First Minister Opens Mixed Community Housing Development

Scotland’s First Minister, Rt. Hon. Alex Salmond MSP, has officially opened Park Court, in Ellon, a mixed community housing development by Margaret Blackwood Housing Association. Speaking at the development, Mr Salmond said:

“Park Court is exactly the sort of accessible, mixed community developments that will make a genuine impact on promoting inclusive, integrated societies. I am delighted to officially open Park Court and I wish all the tenants and long and happy life here.”

Kirsty La Grange is one of Park Court’s first tenants and a wheelchair user. Kirsty said: “In my last house, my room was upstairs. I had to crawl up and down stairs every morning because the toilet was downstairs. Moving here, with everything at my level, has allowed me to become more independent and that has allowed my mum more independence.”

Kirsty’s mum, Berna, is delighted. “We’re just happy. It’s a new life; we’re having a new experience. It’s great!”

Bob Raitt, who worked in the healthcare field himself and retired through ill health three years ago, said: “I lived upstairs for about 14 months, basically between a bedroom and five, six steps to the bathroom and back. That’s how I existed.”

Bob is also a wheelchair user and he explained: “This house is designed for Bob Raitt. Your needs are put at the centre and everything is built around that. It has totally liberated us and created so many opportunities for us, with choices and potential that we haven’t quite tapped into yet. It’s pretty amazing here.”

Bob’s wife, Lesley, went further: “It’s like regaining a lot of what we had lost, giving more normality back to our lives again.”

Councillor Gurudeo Saluja, Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Social Work and Housing committee, said: “I’m delighted to see this development completed. This new scheme will provide much needed high quality housing for families with particular needs and I commend Margaret Blackwood Housing Association and all partners involved in making this a reality.

“Aberdeenshire’s population continues to grow and there remains a significant level of housing need across our area. Aberdeenshire Council has, with partners, already supported a range of schemes and initiatives to address the need for more affordable housing – I look forward to seeing more schemes being developed to complement this one in Ellon.”

Jackie Wilkins, Communities Scotland’s acting area director for Grampian, said: “This investment is the result of positive partnership working between Communities Scotland, Margaret Blackwood Housing Association and Aberdeenshire Council. “This purpose-built accommodation will make a real difference to the lives of the people that will live here and outlines Communities Scotland’s commitment, and that of our partners, towards delivering high-quality, affordable homes to people across the area.”

The 11-flat development includes two flats designed around the needs of wheelchair users and a third designed especially for older people for someone who has limited mobility. Eight of the flats are for people who have general housing needs.

Constructed to a very high standard by local contractors, Chap Construction (Aberdeen) Ltd from Westhill, the development cost £1.17m, with £790,000 in housing association grant (HAG) from Communities Scotland.

As well as incorporating the most up-to-date design thinking on accessible, barrier-free housing, Park Court has been built with very high levels of insulation and high-efficiency space and water heating systems.

Margaret Blackwood’s chairman, Grant Carson, explained: “Many of our tenants have a disability of some sort and may also be on restricted incomes. They are likely to spend a greater proportion of their time in their homes. If they have circulation problems, they will feel the cold to a greater extent than the rest of us. We are making a real difference to them by building houses that are very thermally efficient and inexpensive to run.”