Cunninghame Housing Association (CHA) have completed 45 new homes on the former Lockerbie Academy site including 3 wheelchair adapted properties and 9 amenity flats.
Prior to Cunninghame Housing Association’s Lockerbie Academy development, no new social housing or housing for varying needs had been built in Lockerbie since the 1980s.
CHA engaged with the local community to form a new streetscape with a strong sense of character.
The housing mix creates a real sense of community, combining two storey housing and a series of amenity ground floor cottage flats, suited to elderly residents. The houses were designed to emphasise simple, recognisable, features that improve domestic life – covered entrance porches, bay windows, well-proportioned spaces, and generous external spaces.
Total investment in the project is £8m. Works costs were £6.7m with £4.2m from the Scottish Governments Housing Association Grant (HAG). CHA contributed almost £3m in private finance and the project further benefited from £162,198 from Dumfries & Galloway Councils Town Centre Living Fund. Through the main contractor, Ashleigh Construction, the project also created a number of employment opportunities including an Assistant Project Manager, Driver, 2 joiner trade apprenticeships and 2 modern apprenticeships. Sub-contractors were also able to start 3 apprentice electricians and 3 apprentice plumbers/heating engineers. 70% of the works were delivered by local supply chains which means that based on a £6.7m work cost, almost £4.5m stayed within the local economy.
Emphasising CHA’s mission to be More Than Just a Landlord: Making Our Communities Better Places the Association together with Ashleigh Construction and AMEY supported Lockerbie Primary Parent and Carers Council to raise over £53k to create an outdoor classroom and inclusive play park for local children and those with complex disabilities.
Their Chairperson, Caroline Spencer, said “We are thrilled with CHA’s support. Our school is a Public Private Partnership. Getting anything built within the school grounds is fiendishly complex and expensive so this was a challenge. With CHA’s help we raised all the funds needed and negotiated the best possible terms for installation and ongoing maintenance of the project with the local authority and Amey, who own the school.” Adjacent to the site lies the Victorian, former Dryfesdale Old School building.
Lockerbie Old School SCIO took ownership of this via a community asset transfer from Dumfries and Galloway Council in 2020, since when LOS and Cunninghame Housing Association have been working in partnership to transform the site into a £4.5m Community Facility and 8 flats for assisted living.
Public consultations on the social and economic issues facing Lockerbie and the changes local people and businesses want to see in their town carried out by the Lockerbie Old School Committee identified the importance of creating new learning, personal and cultural development opportunities, and facilities for new community organisations and businesses to develop and bring key services to the town.
The Centre will act as a catalyst and focal point for the social, economic and physical regeneration of Lockerbie Town Centre – providing over 1000 sqm of new spaces including a Learning zone, conference and meeting space, business space and a Makery. The capital funding package is currently being assembled and the project has a proposed site start date of September 2022.
Gillian Moffat, Secretary of LOS outlined the impact of the partnership “CHA has transformed a previously derelict housing site into a stylish, modern housing development warmly welcomed by the community. The Lockerbie Old School Committee are excited to be partnering with CHA on our project. Their expertise, community focus and dedication to create positive change are second to none”.
Cunninghame Housing Association’s Group CEO, Frank Sweeney commented “Building new homes, regenerating communities and helping to build new futures for people and communities. That’s what CHA is all about. Partnership working is the key to the ongoing regeneration of Lockerbie and we are fortunate to have a forward looking partners in Dumfries & Galloway Council and the Lockerbie Old School Board who are both committed to making their communities better places. We are committed to the
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