Work will commence on site later this year, with the first houses due to be released for sale in 2020.

With an emphasis on high quality landscaping and design, Findrassie will ultimately provide 1500 new homes, 12 hectares of commercial land, a new primary school and community facilities creating an exciting new neighbourhood to the north of Elgin. The plan has already been acknowledged with a Scottish Award for Quality in Planning as well as a shortlisting for an RTPI Award for Planning Excellence. 

The development, which will ultimately include 375 affordable homes, represents an investment of over £10 million by Pitgaveny Farms in Elgin towards site masterplanning, extensive community engagement, a site for the new Findrassie Primary school and funding for the school itself, as well as greenspaces, a new sports pitch and changing facilities.

Barratt will deliver the first phase of much needed affordable and private homes, new drainage infrastructure and road improvements. The design provides for safe routes to school and connections to the Elgin cycle routes.

Rebecca Russell of Pitgaveny Farms (owners of the land at Findrassie) said: “From the start we have been committed to providing the sort of neighbourhood where people would want to live and, to this end, we worked with our advisors Savills to manage an extensive community engagement programme. Local people have been actively involved in planning this neighbourhood through design workshops, the ‘Findrassie Forum’, Pitgaveny Farms Open Days and a lively Pitgaveny schools programme. We are very grateful for the commitment of local community representatives for working with us to make this a people-friendly masterplan.”

David Palmer, managing director for Barratt North Scotland, said: “We’re very pleased to be returning to Elgin following the success of our previous development, The Grange, which proved hugely popular with local buyers and sold out in 2017.

“This first phase of the new masterplan development at Findrassie will see us establish a new community to the north of the town with the construction of 450 quality new homes. The area will also benefit from significant investment in community facilities, services and infrastructure, helping to support its continued growth as one of Moray’s most popular locations for buyers.”

Graham Reid of Savills Development Services said: “It has been a pleasure working in such a collaborative manner with Pitgaveny Farms, the wider client team across the Savills business and with Barratt to accelerate the delivery of this exceptional masterplan.

“We are very pleased to have reached this milestone and look forward to seeing Barratt bringing the first phase of Findrassie forward. This new neighbourhood is the result of a collaborative planning and design process between landowners Pitgaveny and Moray Council, a pro-active and engaged community council and wider community, specialist consultants and Architecture & Design Scotland.”

Alastair Kennedy of the City & Royal Burgh of Elgin Community Council added: “We are delighted to see the Findrassie development get underway. There has been a huge amount of thought on the impact of this development both locally and Moray-wide. This has included a huge amount of engagement with stakeholders like the community council and these interested parties have been encouraged to voice their thoughts throughout the process. This has helped to shape the development and stakeholders can see many examples of where their ideas have been included. This development offers good linkage with both Elgin and further afield. Great care has been taken to include links for cyclists and pedestrians wherever possible.

“There will be a good mix of houses and the green belt running through the development will act as a village green and very much a community space where different styled events will take place. Once the first phase is developed Elgin’s community councillors believe the development will become a runaway success and a great achievement, leaving a fine legacy for the future history of Elgin.”