The 20 one and two bedroomed flats at Birch Avenue in Scone have been built to the highest standard. All the windows are triple-glazed and the properties are extremely well insulated to help reduce tenants’ heating bills, along with the carbon footprint of the development.

The homes, delivered by CCG, were visited by housing and communities convener Councillor Peter Barrett, vice convener Councillor Bob Brawn, local elected members and senior housing & environment managers.

Councillor Barrett said: “Providing much-needed affordable housing in smaller communities like Scone is very important. These flats will provide additional high-quality, socially-rented accommodation in the town for our tenants and enhance the lives of the people who live in them. It’s especially welcome that this development contains a large number of one-bedroom properties, as there is an acute need for this type of accommodation across the area.

“These new council flats won’t just benefit the tenants who will live in them. The homes, along with those at another proposed council development at the site of the former Glebe School, will contribute significantly to the local community and economy of Scone.

“Building more affordable housing remains a key priority Perth & Kinross Council. Our multi-million-pound building programme, combined with our work supporting new builds through our housing association partners, has seen over 500 additional homes delivered right across Perth and Kinross since 2012. This includes over 200 new council homes. Most of these new properties have been built in areas where there is an acute shortage of affordable housing for local people.”

Councillor Brawn said: “Our existing tenants consistently tell us that building new council homes is a high priority for them. Using some of the ring-fenced rent money our tenants pay to expand our housing stock for new tenants is the perfect illustration of social housing in action. I’m delighted to see this latest new-build completed by the council.”

CCG director, Calum Murray, added: “Birch Avenue is the fourth project to have been delivered by CCG on behalf of Perth and Kinross Council with the creation of over 50 affordable homes in the region over the last year, all constructed using ‘off-site’ methods to ensure quality and efficiency standards.

“CCG also successfully sustained local employment and training opportunities for the Birch Avenue project and we look forward to continuing this partnership approach with the council in 2018 and beyond.”

CCG is presently delivering a further 24 homes for the council at Crieff Road, Perth.