BOSSES at West Lothian Council are delighted with the progress of a “transformative” social housing development in the area.
The £17.6m project, including a £9.2m grant from the Scottish Government, is situated in the town centre of Livingston, West Lothian, providing tenants with easy access to the town’s popular shopping facilities.
West Lothian Housing Partnership (WHLP) – part of Wheatley, a housing, care and property management group – has built 146 new homes in Almondvale Court in Livingston town centre.
It comes as part of a targeted drive to improve housing in the county following a 2017 report that found West Lothian had the highest increase in people living in temporary accommodation in Scotland.
The report also stated that the area had the country’s highest number of women and children living in “unsuitable accommodation.”
The development lies on the site of the former Livingston police station, which hadn’t been used for policing services since 2009 as personnel moved to the town’s Civic Centre, and was later demolished in 2017.
Developed by The Cruden Group, the flats – holding between one and three bedrooms – also include 45 ‘Livingwell’ homes, built by the WLHP with the aim of making living independently easier for older people.
West Lothian Council Leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick, who was invited by WHLP to see the progress, said: “The opening of this development represents a significant boost to increasing the availability of social housing in the Livingston area.
“It was a pleasure to meet with the new tenants to hear their stories and I’m sure they will enjoy life at this prominent location.
“With demand for social housing high in the Livingston area, the construction of these new homes comes as West Lothian is in the midst of one of the most ambitious social housing programmes in the country.
“West Lothian Council [is] working in conjunction with WLHP and other Registered Social Landlords to deliver over 2300 affordable homes since 2012.
“Access to housing can be transformative and the council remains committed to working with partners to ensure that high quality social housing is available for the people of West Lothian.”
Margaret Smith, 78, has been living with her daughter in Blackburn, West Lothian since the start of the pandemic, and says she’s looking forward to getting into her new place: “I can’t wait to be independent and live in my own home. I’m so excited.”
WHLP built 140 homes in West Lothian in 2018 and are currently on-site for nearly 100 further properties, with an additional 81 planned for later this year.
The first tenants are set to move into the development at Almondvale Court in Livingston next month.
