By Alan Richardson

THE INCREASING demand for housing in Perth has been highlighted with almost all the houses in a new development snapped up within minutes of release.

The houses and flats at the new Tulloch Homes College Gait development in Oakbank, which have not even been built yet, fetched up to almost £250,000 when they went on the market a fortnight ago.

Eager househunters are snapping up properties ahead of a new housing embargo being imposed by Scottish Water on the Fair City over fears for the overburdened sewage system. A spokesman for Tulloch confirmed it is mainly local people on the 400-strong waiting list for houses.

She said, “It is local people from the Perth area who have shown the most interest. It does seem to reflect the lack of new housing coming on the market at present.

“We had quite an extensive mailing list so we were aware of the demand and had to hold the release of the first phase of College Gait in a nearby hotel, which was a bit unusual.

“Twenty of the properties were sold in the first day.”

The site, off Oakbank Road, has only one house—a luxury five bedroom villa—and six flats left for sale from the original 31 properties which were released.

Further phases of the development will be released later in the year.

The remarkable uptake of the development reflects the growing need for housing among the expanding Perth population as prices continue to soar by as much as £2500 a month.

But buyers are set to face heartache as properties become more scarce due to the Scottish Water crisis.

Last week Perthshire Housing Association—the area’s largest housing association—claimed they faced major problems in even finishing existing work, let alone creating new affordable housing projects.

And Bett Homes also pulled the plug on a prospective development at the former Jeanfield Swifts pitch near the city centre.

There have long been proposals within the Perth Structure Plan to create “villages” at sites around the city, such as Errol, Almond Valley or Oudenarde.

However, none have come to fruition.