A new social housing development in Ayr being delivered by Hanover Scotland Housing Association and CCG (Scotland) Ltd has been welcomed by the local MSP as he visited the construction site.

John Scott MSP visited Hanover’s new 22 home site at Britannia Place which is being delivered with funding from South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government.

The new development, which will be known as Cuthbert Gardens once completed to reflect the history of the site which used to contain the Newton Shoe Factory owned by the Cuthbert Family, is expected to open in the early part of 2019 will consist of 22 general needs social housing, ranging from 2 to 4 bedrooms.

Cuthbert Gardens will be Hanover Scotland’s tenth site in South Ayrshire, with the area amongst the organisations most important in the country. CCG has delivered a number of sites across Scotland, from Fife to Angus, delivering around 1000 homes a year across the country.

During his visit, Mr Scott met with senior managers from both Hanover Scotland and CCG and was given a tour of the site, including hearing of engagement which had been undertaken with local residents during the construction phases, how the design had come about and what was being done to ensure the health and safety of workers during construction.

Janice McDonald, enhanced housing manger for Hanover Scotland, said: “Hanover Scotland already have nine developments in South Ayrshire so to make Cuthbert Gardens our tenth when it opens next year is of great importance to us.

“This area of important to Hanover Scotland’s future plans and we look forward to working with our partners such as South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Government to deliver more high quality social housing in the area in future.

“I would like to thank John Scott for taking the time to visit the site today and hope he is able to return in the New Year to see the finished site and meet the residents.”

John Scott MSP said: “I am delighted to have been able to visit the new Hanover Scotland site and look forward to visiting Curthbert Gardens in the New Year once it is completed. Ayr needs more housing of all kinds as the area continues to become more and more popular.

“In particular, my office receives regular calls from constituents looking for, in particular, ground level accommodation which is affordable, so it is hugely welcome that Hanover Scotland and CCG are able to deliver this kind of new supply to the area. I hope they will do all they can to continue to deliver this kind of housing in Ayr in the future.”

Calum Murray, director of CCG, said: “CCG is delighted to be further supporting the affordable housing supply for the South Ayrshire region with these new homes at Britannia Place. This now takes our overall number of homes presently under construction to 61 units. By utilising ‘offsite’ methods of construction, these new homes will be constructed to the highest quality standard and thanks to a bespoke manufacturing process, their environmental performance will ensure long-term energy savings for the future residents.

“CCG can also confirm that as a direct result of this project, we have been able to engage with local colleges to provide training and employment opportunities for the South Ayrshire community.”