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Low cost Highland homes unveiled by social justice secretary Alex Neil

Alex Neil MSP visits Lochside Court, Ullapool
Alex Neil MSP visits Lochside Court, Ullapool

Keys are available for some badly needed homes for people on low incomes in a Highland village.

The properties have been officially unveiled by social justice secretary Alex Neil on a visit to Ullapool.

Four one and two-bedroom flats, in Garve Road, are available to locals through a low-cost initiative for first-time buyers.

Applicants are expected to pay between 60% and 80% of the asking price, while taxpayers will pick up the remaining cost.

It features 14 flats in total, built on two storeys, 10 of which are rented. The four shared equity flats are expected to be occupied over the next few weeks.

Mr Neil also had his first glimpse of plans to transform the nearby site of the former Glenfield Hotel into a 55-property mixed tenure development. The Scottish Government provided £415,000 towards the site purchase.

On a visit to Garve Road, Mr Neil handed over the keys to new tenants Adam and Katarzyna Nowikowski.

“This development,” he said, “has been backed by £720,000 investment from the Scottish Government.

“These good quality, energy efficient homes are a welcome addition to the supply of affordable housing in Ullapool, offering people more choice and opportunities to find a home that suits their needs.”

He added: “Developments such as this not only provide a boost for our construction sector and wider economy but also give people and families the chance to rent or buy a new home at affordable rates.

“We are investing £1.7billion (CORRECT) in affordable housing and are 90% of our way to reaching our five-year target of delivering 30,000 homes by 2016.”

Of those, 18,600 homes are for social rent.

Highland Council leader Margaret Davidson said: “Affordable and high quality housing is vital for the region. These homes are energy efficient, low maintenance and superbly designed.

“This is an excellent example of how affordable housing can be made available in rural areas with the help of some additional investment.”

The 14 flats cost £1.8million to build, with £720,000 in the form of Scottish Government grant and £100,000 from the council’s landbank fund.