An Aberdeenshire Council housing development in Fraserburgh, innovatively built with a focus on energy efficiency, was officially opened last week.

Heritage Way, on the town’s Barrasgate Road, features 30 properties in a mixture of flats and houses, three of which have been designed for people with physical disabilities.

The development was supported by a successful bid for funding from the Scottish Government’s Greener Homes Innovation Scheme.

It was formally opened by minister for local government and housing, Kevin Stewart MSP, in a ceremony involving Provost of Aberdeenshire Councillor Bill Howatson, and chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s communities committee, Councillor Anne Stirling.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “I am delighted to have the chance to formally open Heritage Way and see the great benefits it promised become a reality, including those for disabled residents. This is a project that is matching affordable housing with the needs of the people. These homes will have a hugely positive impact, making a difference to residents and their families.

“These affordable homes also show that they can be accessible and of good quality, and energy efficient. I am very pleased we were able to support the development through our Greener Homes Innovation Scheme. This development and others like it shows our commitment to see at least 50,000 affordable homes delivered by the end of this Parliament.”

The innovation scheme was established to support the promotion of energy-efficient housing using innovative methods of off-site construction and low-carbon technologies, in line with the Scottish Government’s Sustainable Housing Strategy.

The low-carbon, low-energy flats and houses were designed by architect Gokay Deveci of Robert Gordon University and are finished in zinc. The metal was chosen for its longevity and resistance to rust.

Energy use and consumption in six of the properties will be monitored by the university for 15 months, and it is expected the information will help inform future housing programmes developed by the council.

Provost of Aberdeenshire Bill Howatson said: “Heritage Way is one of the most innovative housing developments led by the council, both visually and in terms of construction, and there is much we can learn from it.

“As we look towards the winter we hope the residents will benefit from the energy-efficiency measures that could help keep costs down.”

Councillor Anne Stirling added: “There is a clear demand for affordable housing in Aberdeenshire, and Heritage Way was built as part of our fifth phase of new housing programme.

“As we prepare to enter our sixth phase, this development demonstrates elements that could become a core part of future builds in terms of energy use and consumption.”