Willie Lockhart, managing director of major developer in Scotland Places for People, talks to us about building communities and the success of its Tornagrain development near Inverness.
As an established Housing Association in Scotland, you're proud to say you “don't just build houses, we create and manage places”; can you explain a bit more about what's meant by this?
Our business goes much further than building homes. We have over 50 years of experience in creating vibrant and diverse communities, and own or manage over 230,000 homes, operate over 120 leisure facilities, and support more than 500,000 customers. In each new development we create we are able to apply that knowledge and experience into creating community-focused places.
As the UK’s leading social enterprise, we believe we can improve our customers’ lives through the communities we build and look after. We do this by honouring our long-term commitment to creating and supporting thriving communities where everyone matters – whether that be through the development of homes, schools, shops, community and leisure centres or providing access to job opportunities, training, and specialist support services.
Tornagrain
And when we talk about 'placemaking', what do you think are the main ingredients for creating a successful, thriving community?
A successful thriving community must place people at its heart, focussing on ways the place they live can improve their lives and the interactions they have with their neighbours. At Places for People creating thriving communities is more than what we do, it is who we are. Each development we create places people at its centre and we build the project around them.
At Tornagrain, which is just seven miles from Inverness, it’s more than just a housing development, it is a long-term vision to create an enduring and sustainable new town. Our homes offer a range of different designs and a range of tenures, making for an accessible, diverse and balanced community. Also with 20 specialist companies within the organisation, we have the luxury of learning what communities need from our existing neighbourhoods and have the ability and expertise to flex how we create, develop and manage entire places.
You're currently marketing homes in Tornagrain, which is the Highlands' newest town, with a vision to build a whole new sustainable town; how will you achieve this?
Sustainability is not just about the build of the home but also the infrastructure we put in place. One of our main priorities when developing communities is to make sure we have green spaces and active travel routes, allowing residents to rely less on vehicles and live more sustainably. In addition to ensuring Tornagrain has highly insulated walls, photovoltaic solar panels, low-energy lighting, double glazing and high-efficiency boilers, a key part of making Tornagrain a sustainable community is its energy self-sufficiency. The development is fuelled by bio-gas (bio-methane) from the nearby Tornagrain Gas Mill anaerobic digester. The bio-gas is produced from the anaerobic digestion of farmyard manure, distillery waste and agricultural silages, meaning it can produce sufficient bio-gas for several thousand houses. The operation of the gas grid means that Tornagrain homes will use bio-gas for their heating, hot water and cooking. As part of our partnership with the Future Homes Hub, where we’re looking to reduce the whole life carbon of new homes, this helps us deliver a local-sourced, low-carbon energy source for the development.
With the current cost of living crisis, do potential buyers appear more concerned about purchasing costs and then rising bills once they're in?
As a community-focused organisation we are acutely aware of the difficulties home-movers and tenants are facing at the moment, both in terms of affordability and day-to-day living expenses.
We offer several different purchase options at our developments allowing potential buyers to access a home that is suitable for them whether that’s through mid-market rent, or schemes such as Shared Equity in Scotland or Shared Ownership in England.
We have run numerous schemes over the years to make it easier for people to buy their new homes, most recently we supported our customers to purchase their new homes by offering to match their deposit. Customers were able to put down a 5% deposit which was then matched by Places for People, allowing customers to put a 10% deposit down and lower their monthly mortgage payments.
Also, as all of the homes in our developments boast strong eco-credentials, this helps keep monthly bills lower.
And how do you support potential buyers, particularly first-time buyers, on their purchasing journey?
On a development-by-development basis we work closely with local stakeholders to offer our customers several different schemes to help them purchase or rent their new home. For first-time buyers, a key way we are supporting in Scotland is through the Shared Equity scheme whereby the customer funds between 60% and 80% of the full price of the property through their deposit and mortgage and the remaining percentage is financed through an equity loan which is funded by Places for People Scotland and the Scottish government.
Tornagrain delivers a range of homes with various tenures and purchasing options for local people. As well as a range of starter homes for outright sales, we provided a number of schemes to help people to move on to the property ladder. This multi-tenure approach ensured that our starter homes have been accessible to all, with 32% of our customers moving in through schemes including, Shared Equity or Mid-Market Rent.
We also offer mid-market rent scheme for homes that are rented to households on low to middle incomes. Rent for mid-market homes are generally set lower than private rent but higher than the council or housing association rent.
Chapelton
We know that many buyers are now highly focused on the environmental/sustainable aspects of running a home; how are you addressing this in the homes you build?
Many customers are interested in how their home can contribute to living a more sustainable life and are factoring energy efficiency and environmental impact into their home-moving decisions. For that reason, sustainable communities like Tornagrain are very appealing. Another example is our work at Chapelton, a self-contained, pedestrian-friendly community providing business space, education and healthcare facilities, leisure and shopping spaces, parks and green space, all within walking distance of up to 8,000 new homes across seven neighbourhoods – including the town centre.
In a lot of areas Places for People are industry leaders in building more environmentally friendly and sustainable communities for people to live. We are the first UK placemaking and property company to align its environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting with the Certified Sustainable Housing Label (CSHL).
Our commitment is not only to new developments but also improving existing housing stock. Over the past year we invested over £8.9million in energy efficiency upgrades to affordable housing stock. These improvements included installing more efficient boilers in 1,738 homes and more efficient windows in a further 124. We are also partnering with the government backed Warm Front team to invest £4.1million in a cavity wall and loft insulation programme in 2,891 homes — a carbon saving of 58,588 tonnes.
Looking to the future, we are in collaboration with the government-backed Energy Systems Catapult to identify future low carbon technologies, and we are part of the Future Homes Hub group who have just announced their three-year plan looking at the first phase of how we look to decarbonise the future construction of residential property.
Is making use of local building materials important to how you develop new homes?
Developments should complement their local area wherever possible and local materials are a key part of that. Using local materials also enables the construction process to be more sustainable by cutting down on transport costs.
Our Tornagrain development has been designed by architect Ben Pentreath with the Earl of Moray’s, the landowner, view of creating a sustainable town that will have lasting benefits to all members of the community. At Tornagrain the homes are inspired by the aesthetic of historic urban towns of the region such as Nairn, Grantown-on-Spey and Fort William and pay homage to the established buildings of north Scotland by using local materials such as slate, stone and wet dash render.
Our Chapelton development has been designed by renowned chartered architect Gavin Murray and guided by the vision of the Elsick Development Company, which is led by the Duke and Duchess of Fife. Much of Murray’s work is concerned with improving the quality of new housing in the UK, and his vision for early phases at Chapelton have created a place with a distinctive local character that embraces modern sustainable standards. As is the hallmark of Murray’s work, the period-style homes already completed here combine the architectural traditions of north-east Scotland with modern design features. The design inspiration is a tribute to the urban settlements of historic towns in Scotland – think Montrose, Stonehaven and St Andrews – integrating local materials, such as slate, granite and stone.
In both examples the use of local materials has made a huge contribution to the quality and aesthetics of the development.
The Engine Yard
What developments are you marketing for sale at the moment?
We are highly active in Scotland at present with a range of projects that we are currently marketing. Those are:
- The Engine Yard, Edinburgh. A selection of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, duplexes and penthouses, starting from £267,500, in the city’s historic tram depot on Leith Walk. The area is rich in industrial architecture, with tram sheds, a chimney, a boundary wall and gables – all of which are now being sensitively restored as we create 377 new homes for sale and rent.
- Chapelton, Aberdeenshire. Chapelton is much more than a new housing development. It is a long-term vision to create a new sustainable town, comprising 8,000 homes and an equal number of job spaces, as well as all the amenities you would expect. Chapleton offers a wide range of purchase options including outright sale, Shared Equity and mid-market rent.
- Baileyfield, Edinburgh. The spacious and thoughtfully designed homes at Baileyfield, Portobello are perfect for first-time buyers, couples and those looking to live close to the city. Working in partnership with the Scottish government and Edinburgh Council we are offering a limited number of two-bedroom apartments in an excellent location through the Shared Equity scheme.
- Longniddry Village, East Lothian. Phase 2 of this development is coming soon and will provide a selection of two-, three- and four-bedroom homes starting from £297,500. Longniddry Village is an integral part of the Longniddry community, helping to make the town even more sustainable for and attractive to future generations. Only 18 minutes by train to the City of Edinburgh, Longniddry is inspired by the best of East Lothian’s towns and villages, including local traditional architecture and period features along with amenities, including a village green, restored mill pond and wildflower meadow.
- Tornagrain, Inverness. Tornagrain is a long-term vision to create a whole new sustainable town, comprising 5,000 homes and many job spaces as well as all the amenities you would expect. With open green spaces, local shops and neighbourhood squares, Tornagrain offers enviable country living with everything you could need close at hand. The next phase of modern country homes are coming soon to Tornagrain in 2023. A mix of two-bedroom apartments and two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes with Shared Equity options available.
- Woodland Park, Calderwood. Homes at Woodland Park, Calderwood are perfect for families, with a mix of two- and three-bedroom homes starting from £210,000. Our Woodland Park development features a mix of just ten superb family homes, made more affordable thanks to Shared Equity.
And finally, what's coming next at Places for People over the next 12 months?
As part of our growth ambitions to help tackle the UK housing’s shortage we’re committed to continuing to create thriving communities. As part of this commitment, we will also deliver 50% of our new homes through the Shared Ownership scheme, the most accessible tenure helping people get on the housing ladder.
Find out more about current Places for People developments.
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