Councillor Josh Wilson, the chair of housing and technical resources, officially cut the first sod for the development at Auldkirk Road – appropriately, on Scottish Housing Day.

The site, which forms part of the council’s flagship Homes+ programme, comprises 48 new homes and will make a vital contribution to the council’s commitment to delivering 1000 homes for affordable rent across South Lanarkshire by 2021.

Supported by Scottish Government grant funding and comprising a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom family homes, cottage flats and bungalows, the development will provide accommodation for households with a wide range of housing needs.

Councillor Wilson said: “After months of lockdown when all council sites needed to be closed to comply with Scottish Government regulations, I am delighted to see work beginning on these much-needed properties in the Cambuslang area.

“Families across the area will benefit from these new homes, which are being built to the latest energy-efficiency standards. With generous space and high-quality kitchens and bathrooms, the new homes will incorporate renewable technologies such as solar panels, ensuring that the homes will be cheaper to run, benefiting both the environment and household budgets.”

Danny Lowe, director of housing and technical resources, added: “It’s heartening to see construction beginning again on our Homes+ programme. Auldkirk Road is just one of many council sites that are now gearing back up after lockdown to provide new homes in communities across South Lanarkshire.

“These homes help demonstrate our continued commitment to meeting key priorities in our Local Housing Strategy which include increasing the supply of affordable housing, tackling fuel poverty and promoting sustainable communities.”

The council’s Housing and Technical Resources team worked with hub South West to design the new homes and the construction will be carried out by local Cambuslang company Cruden Building and Renewals, with the development bringing wider benefits to the local community.

Gordon Lee, partnering and procurement director at Cruden, commented: “We look forward to delivering this landmark project and, importantly, we will be creating employment and training opportunities throughout the build for South Lanarkshire residents, including local jobs, apprenticeships and work placements.”

Michael McBrearty, chief executive of hub South West, said: “This is our first project with Cruden Group, who have recently become a hub South West partner and we look forward to building upon our working relationship with further projects.

“Thanks are due to South Lanarkshire Council, Cruden Group and everyone else involved in this project as, despite the current challenging circumstances, their unstinting commitment resulted in our reaching a successful Financial Close earlier this summer. This, I believe, demonstrates commitment and resilience amongst all stakeholders.

“The Auld Kirk Road project, which takes hub South West’s pipeline of development and construction of new homes to £186m, also brings with it a high degree of local social value through its delivery of jobs, apprenticeships and opportunities for local companies to contribute to the end result.”