The construction of the first new council homes in Newtyle for several decades began on Monday.
A ground-breaking ceremony took place signalling a start to the construction of 12 new houses for affordable rent.
The properties form the latest project in Angus Council’s strategic housing investment plan which is delivering around 120 new homes each year.
The 0.46 hectare site at Dunarn Street was the leftover portion of the site occupied by Newtyle School before it was demolished and replaced by a new building in 2009.
Angus development plan policy aims to secure a 25% affordable housing element in projects of 10 or more units, or on land where the site amounts to half a hectare or more.
Kathleen Band is secretary of Newtyle and Eassie Community Council.
She said: “This development has been driven by the community council and we’re delighted to see it come to fruition with so much community support.”
Kirriemuir and Dean SNP councillor Julie Bell said: “These new homes will unlock housing in Newtyle, with over £700,000 investment from the Scottish Government making a real difference to the village, for this generation and future generations.”
More than £2 million is being invested in the project, which is situated at the end of Dunarn Street and is scheduled for completion by spring 2020.
Delegates on site on Monday included local elected members such as the Provost, Ronnie Proctor, members of the community, officers from the council’s housing service and representatives of the contractor Bancon Construction.
In a statement, communities convener Mark Salmond said: “This is great news for Newtyle and indeed for Angus.
“As a council, we pride ourselves in investing in new homes across the whole of our county – both our towns and more rural areas, such as Newtyle.
“It is vital that we provide families with the opportunity to access high quality affordable accommodation in villages, so they can stay within our smaller communities, ensuring that they are sustained and thrive.
“Newtyle is well served by a range of local services and is ideally located for people who need or want to work in nearby towns and cities across Tayside.
“Demand for affordable homes has risen in Newtyle over recent years as pressure on existing housing has increased.
“We want Angus to be a great place to live, work and visit.
“Those aspirations are achieved through projects such as this – creating places that people are proud to call home.”
