The £2.4 million project is the latest development by Kingdom Housing Association in Clackmannanshire and images of the new affordable flats, that will be available for Mid Market Rent (MMR), have been released for the first time.

The project is being developed on a site close to the centre of Alloa which was previously partly occupied by a derelict warehouse with a larger area of the site used for parking.

The site was owned by Clackmannanshire Council which has worked in partnership with Kingdom to bring the flats on stream.

The council sold the site to Kingdom in 2015 and the demolition works began in May 2016. The site works are progressing and construction on the new homes begins this month, with the project programmed for completion by the end of March 2017.

Councillor Kathleen Martin, housing spokesperson for Clackmannanshire Council, said: “The project will make a great contribution to help meet a range of housing needs in our area. I am very pleased that working in partnership with Kingdom and the Scottish Government we can offer new rented housing right in the centre of Alloa. The development also compliments all the investment the Council has made recently in regenerating the town centre.”

The project is being developed by Kingdom Housing Association and on completion, the flats will be leased to its wholly owned subsidiary, Kingdom Initiatives, which will let the new homes and be the landlord for the new tenancies.

Bill Banks, chief executive at Kingdom, said: “This will be Kingdom’s first MMR project in this area. The flats will be very well located for access to town centre amenities, as well as being within easy reach of the train station.”

Bill added: “Kingdom is a relatively new partner in Clackmannanshire, for the supply of new affordable housing. We completed our first project in the area in December 2015 and now have a growing pipeline of projects. We are very grateful to the support from the Council and this is allowing us to pursue mutual objectives associated with meeting housing needs in Clackmannanshire.”

The total project cost is £2.4m. Around £1.2m was provided by the Scottish Government to support the project and Clackmannanshire Council provided a further £75,000 in subsidy.

The new flats and the surrounding landscaped area will be highly visible from the main road through Alloa and once completed; will provide an attractive gateway to the town centre.

All the new flats will be constructed to Kingdom’s normal high design standards. They will achieve the Greener Sustainability Standard which will help minimise demand for energy use and reduce costs for tenants. Whole house ventilation systems will be installed to improve indoor air quality and help create a healthier environment.

The project has been designed to achieve Secured by Design accreditation and training placements and employment opportunities will be created as part of Kingdom’s Community Benefits Strategy.

Kingdom’s contractor for the project is Campion Homes from Dunfermline and Tillicoultry architects Bracewell Stirling were the designers, along with McGregor McMahon & Associates (Engineers) and Hardies, both from Dunfermline.