A project that will see the creation of 19 energy-efficient homes in Speyside has been launched this week.
Robertson Homes have begun clearing a site in Dufftown that had previously been the home to a cooperage and auction mart. That will allow building of the new homes to get under way with a completion target by the end of the year.
The new council houses will feature an innovative ‘heat recovery system’, which is designed to keep fuel costs to a minimum through recycling heat that is normally lost from buildings. Chairman of Moray Council’s communities committee, Councillor Eric McGillivray, said the project was part of a commitment by the local authority to build 500 new homes over the next 10 years.
He said: “It is important that these houses are built across Moray in order to support both urban and rural communities.
“These are the first properties to be built by the council in Speyside in recent years and will meet a range of housing needs.”
A ceremony was conducted on Tuesday to cut the first turf on the site with local councillor Fiona Murdoch on hand to ensure all went to plan. Robertson’s regional managing director Frank Reid was also present, he said: “We are delighted to have been awarded the contract by Moray Council for the new housing at Dufftown.
“We have worked closely with the Council on previous successful contracts and are very pleased to be helping to provide the first new council housing in a Speyside in a generation.”