North Ayrshire Council’s Redstone Wynd development has been nominated as a finalist in the ‘Small Affordable Housing Development of the Year’ category at the Scottish Home Awards 2015.

Redstone Wynd, Kilwinning is the council’s newest development and a place of community diversity.

The development has 46 homes varying from two to four bedrooms in size. It has three wheelchair-friendly bungalows, three amenity standards bungalows and three properties incorporating downstairs bedrooms, enabling families with specialist requirements to live safely and with dignity.

The specialist properties were designed to support the needs of older and disabled wheelchair users in line with ‘Housing of Varying Needs’ guidance. The houses have been future-proofed to help meet changing needs and should not require external maintenance for the next 25 years.

The council’s aim was to promote sustainability in its widest sense. It wanted to provide houses which are fit for purpose for the residents and attractive enough to ensure long-term demand. Designers adopted an inclusive approach, with community consultation events helping inform final design proposals.

A key consideration for the project design team was to embrace national ‘Designing Streets’ guidance which resulted in the use of shared surfaces to prioritise pedestrian movement within the development. These considerations have also resulted in ‘Secure by Design’ accreditation from Police Scotland.

Cabinet member for place, councillor Tony Gurney, is delighted that the council is now a contender for the coveted award.

He said: “These are the country’s largest independent awards for the housing industry. They highlight excellence in building, design and customer care and formally recognise innovative teams and companies creating city apartments, family housing and affordable flats.

“Being shortlisted from over 100 entries reflects the innovation underway across the council and the value of its inclusive approach to design and delivery of sustainable housing.”

Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner on 18 June at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.

@North_Ayrshire

www.north-ayrshire.gov.uk