Lerwick could get 300 more houses
Rosalind GriffithsThe biggest housing development in Lerwick for decades could go ahead if a land survey now being carried out proves favourable.
The major development of up to 300 new homes would be built by Hjaltland Housing Association and cover a large site in the North Staney Hill area. If the project goes ahead it would be the biggest development on a single site since post-war times.
Proposals are at an early stage and Hjaltland has commissioned Redman Sutherland Architects to compile a report regarding the feasibility of developing the site for housing. RSA’s remit is to find out as much information as possible about the site to allow the Hjaltland management committee to make a decision whether or not to buy the land. It is understood the area is owned by SLAP, a company owned by the charitable trust.
No designs for the proposals have been made, but according to a scheme previously designed by the SIC roads department, it appears that the development could support 200-300 houses. They would be built on a 30 hectare site between Pegasus Place and the area towards Clickimin.
There is Scottish government help available to make this purchase, but the deadline is tight. According to the architects, their report must be ready by 13th February to fit in the Scottish government’s funding timescale of 13th March.
RSA describe this as a “one-off funding opportunity” which needs as accurate a report as possible to be submitted on time or the funding could be lost. The Scottish government has allocated £5.8 million for new affordable housing from 2012-15, and will offer more if a suitable site is found.
However, RSA said it would be a very difficult and expensive site to develop as, like Quoys which has 130 houses, it is on a steep hill and would involve digging out rock.
Hjaltland chief executive Bryan Leask said many other aspects of the ambitious proposal would also have to be considered. These include access, connections for water and electricity, the drainage system and the impact on the wider infrastructure of traffic and the capacity in the local schools, all of which could influence the density of development.
Mr Leask said: “There is a lot to consider before we look at purchasing.”
For full story see today’s Shetland Times.
fraser cluness
good idea, few questions though. Can the schools cope (possble old Andeson High as a new super primary) ? Can we get a road conecting ladys drive to the waterworks area (bypass). Is their enough water in sandy lock?
David Toney
Water supply is no problem , old anderson as a super primary is a horrendously bad idea , the buildings are well past there best, knock down every thing but the two oldest buildings and build housing around the area, the picture in the article is very poor
Ali Inkster
300 New hooses is aa very good, but do dae hae ta be in lerik?
james johnson
surely it makes sence to build them where the biggest waiting list for housing is, the most facilities are and public transport is at its best.
fraser cluness
agree, the biggest housing list is in lerwick, thus by this it reflects where the most people want to live. parhaps if they took all the houses lists and made them into % then share the houses to the areas due to %. hjatland may develope the land but they could/may sell some sites/streets to private housholds as they did in quoyes
Willannay Price
It seems as though Lerwick is destined to become one huge social housing estate.
Rachel Buchan
That’s an awful lot of houses! Could they not be shared out between other communities too? Not everybody wants to live in town, and to my mind it smacks a bit of centralisation.
fraser cluness
not everyone does want to live in the town, very true, but its where the most people on the housing lists want to live though. They need to also build where they are other big housings lists as well in the future.
Robert Duncan
Not everybody does, no, but there is still demand that far outstrips current supply.
Ian Tinkler
It has It has to be Lerwick. Other communities? No schools, no transport, no communality centres, of course it has to be Lerwick. The rest of Shetland is planned to become an industrial Wind Farm!!
M Stove
Good point, how come all this money is available to build houses yet there is none available for schools, transport etc…. Only reason demand is in Lerwick is because of this
Johan Adamson
I would have thought there would be demand in the country too. Especially post bedroom tax, there must be a shortage of 1 / 2 bed properties in the places where the schemes were all 3 bedroomed built in the ’70s. And do we really have a housing shortage post gas plant construction? Or will we have a crisis where we have lots of empty large private houses?
Robert Duncan
Social housing has been undersupplied in Lerwick since long before the current boom.
Kathy Greaves
A few years ago it was discovered at a community Council meeting that there would not be enough water to supply a further 300 homes or so in the Lerwick area. We can only suppose that this problem has been resolved now? Also that the sewage and road systems can cope.