13 Nov 2007
52 shared equity homes to be provided for first time buyers.
St Andrews is set to benefit from a major boost to its affordable housing supply with the announcement that C&L Properties Limited is committed to delivering 52 shared equity homes at a site in John Knox Road. This £11m investment in the local housing supply will also see a further 26 homes built for private sale. C&L hopes that this will help ease the housing shortages that are presently being felt across St Andrews and, in particular, assist local first time buyers get on to the property ladder.
A planning application, which was submitted to Fife Council on Monday 12 November, is for 78 housing units in total of which 52 would be shared equity and 26 would be for private sale. The properties would be a mix of 1 and 2 bed apartments and 2 and 3 bedroom houses all within buildings of no more than two storeys in height. The site, which extends to approximately 6.5 acres in total and is situated near the existing Safeway supermarket, is being purchased by C&L from prominent local businessman Murray Mitchell.
C&L hopes to receive planning consent within the next 12 months with the site being fully constructed within two years of obtaining approval. Presently, C&L is in discussions with a range of housing partners as to how best to manage the affordable units once they are constructed. C&L is committed also to working closely with Fife Council to assist it in its efforts to meet its affordable housing requirements.
Commenting on the scheme on behalf of C&L, Charlie Ferrari said:
‘’We are delighted to be in a position to make this contribution to St Andrews. We recognise that as a developer with strong local connections and a lengthy track record of involvement in the area, we have a responsibility to assist Fife Council in meeting its targets for delivering affordable housing in the local area. Over the past 6 months we have been looking to acquire a site where we could carry out an affordable housing development and are very pleased that we are now in a position to do so at John Knox Road. We hope that the local community will support our proposals and assist us to make them a reality. We recognise there is a real shortage of options for first time buyers in St Andrews and hope that our 52 shared equity homes will enable more local people to get on to the first rung of the property ladder ’’
The investment at John Knox Road is the latest in a series of major investments by C&L in St Andrews. In the past 3 years alone, C&L has committed to investing some £40m in St Andrews. This includes the £10m redevelopment of Grange House as a new country house hotel together with 10 shared ownership units and the proposed £17m redevelopment of the former New Park School. This comprises 50 new apartments and the refurbishment of the original school building (which is to be retained by the New Park Educational Trust) to form 2 residential apartments and meeting rooms which will available for use by local residents.
It is hoped that the 15 affordable homes required on the New Park Site can be accommodated on the site at John Knox Road and C&L is in active discussion with Fife Council to seek agreement on this matter.