A power transmission company has signed agreements to deliver the first of 1,000 planned new homes across the north of Scotland.
The agreements will see up to 94 new homes built in Western Isles and 47 in Brechin in Angus, as part of a programme of upgrades to the region’s electricity transmission grid.
The homes are being supported by SSEN Transmission, which has provided “significant” funding to enable the construction work to take place.
The properties will initially be used to house workers involved in the construction of new electricity infrastructure in the region.
They will then be made available to the local community, mostly as affordable or social housing.
The announcement was welcomed by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who visited the isle of Lewis on Wednesday.
She said: “Scotland’s enormous renewables capabilities offer an unprecedented opportunity to create jobs and deliver economic growth across our local, regional and national economies for decades to come.
“It is of course vital to ensure that the supporting infrastructure, including housing, is in place to support the workforces and communities that this opportunity presents.
“This will take a shared endeavour, with the public and private sectors working together to ensure that the right homes are delivered in the right place at the right time.
“SSEN Transmission’s commitment to support the creation of 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland is a welcome example of this working in practice and I look forward to the delivery of the initiative benefiting local communities for generations to come.”
The homes on the Western Isles will house staff working on the proposed Lewis Hub, which will see a new HVDC converter station and AC substation built near Stornoway.
Meanwhile the properties in Brechin will initially be used by those working on the proposed Kintore to Tealing 400kV overhead power line.
All the homes are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
The company made the pledge to build 1,000 new homes in its housing strategy last autumn, as part of efforts to tackle the region’s housing challenges.
Rob McDonald, managing director of SSEN Transmission, said: “We are committed to a positive legacy across the north of Scotland from the grid upgrades needed to achieve energy security and clean power, and these first two announcements of new housing in Stornoway and Brechin are all about turning our determination to deliver into bricks and mortar.
“It is an industry first initiative that we are immensely proud to have worked hard with partners to make happen.
“Communities throughout our vast transmission region need good quality jobs to help sustain people and families in their local areas, and homes for them to live in.
“Upgrading the region’s electricity grid will help deliver both of these vital objectives.”
