A total of 22 flats and houses at Lyall Terrace, Laurencekirk, were recently handed over to Aberdeenshire Council by Muir Group, while six two-bed houses at Henry Catto Place, Kingseat, have been provided by Barratt Homes.

Meanwhile, a further 22 new homes in Huntly and Turriff have been completed and handed over by CHAP Construction.

The developments feature six flats at George Street in Huntly and a further six at the town’s Keith Cockburn Gardens, along with eight houses and two flats at Erroll Court, Turriff.

All the projects are within the sixth phase of the council’s new-build housing programme, which will see a total of 151 new homes built across 11 sites by March 2019. Each development has been supported by Scottish Government funding.

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee, Cllr Anne Stirling, said: “To have these developments reaching completion in quick succession is a great boost in addressing local housing need across Aberdeenshire.

“I’d like to thank Muir Group, Barratt Homes and CHAP Construction for producing these high-quality buildings and we look forward to our tenants moving into their new homes.”

Committee vice-chair Cllr Iris Walker added: “We have seen a number of new homes completed across Aberdeenshire as part of this phase of the programme.

“They’re providing additional opportunities for renters and buyers and, in some cases, bringing new life back to old sites. We’ll continue to work with partners in the public and private sectors to further increase availability across the area.”

The projects represent an investment of approaching £2 million at Laurencekirk, and just under £780,000 at Kingseat.

David Palmer, managing director at Barratt North Scotland, said: “Quality, affordable accommodation across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire is in great demand, which is why Barratt Homes is so committed to increasing the supply of new homes across the region.

“Through this partnership with Aberdeenshire Council, we are, therefore, very pleased to deliver on this commitment and handover this latest phase of six two-bedroom homes, which will soon be allocated to families in the Newmachar and Kingseat community.”

The projects in Huntly and Turriff represent an investment of approaching £3.5m.

Graeme Chalmers, contracts manager for CHAP, added: “CHAP Group are delighted to hand over the keys for residential properties to Aberdeenshire Council.

“Despite inherent site difficulties, the works have been completed to a high quality in the timescale and we will continue to ensure the rest of the developments are delivered to the same standards. We have a great relationship with the council and we recognise the positive impact that these homes will have on the communities.”