Hillhead Housing Association has made the move from its office at Highfield Road in East Dunbartonshire to a brand new permanent building at the corner of Meiklehill Road and Redbrae Road.

As well as providing staff with a modern and comfortable working environment, the new facility will offer visitors and tenants a much improved experience with two interview rooms, a bigger and more open reception area, as well as guest Wi-Fi.

The Association’s old base was in a block of nine pre-fabricated cabins which were erected on site as part of the housing stock transfer from East Dunbartonshire Council in 2004. The offices, which were only ever meant to be temporary, quickly became too small as the Association expanded the services it offers to include welfare rights and money & energy advice.

In addition the offices were expensive to heat and were in need of a substantial upgrade. After carrying out an options appraisal a new site which is only 250m away from the old office location was selected and now forms part of a 15 new unit housing development which will see nine flats built on the site of the old office and a further six at a site in neighbouring Rosebank Avenue.

Whilst the office element of the project is being financed out of the Association’s own resources, the new build housing is being supported by a partial grant from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Programme. All 15 new homes will be for rent.

The new office is now more energy efficient and environmentally friendly than the previous premises, with waste reduction and recycling very high on the agenda. With heat and power generated from roof mounted solar panels the Association can now return excess energy generated back into the National Grid adding to the savings in running costs.

The Association re-opened for business yesterday at 2 Meiklehill Road Kirkintilloch G66 2LA. To signify this milestone the Association has updated and refreshed its logo which includes the commitment to ‘Building on Progress for a Brighter Hillhead’.