Kingdom Housing Association has competed the first stage of a major £30 million regeneration project in Inverkeithing’s Fraser Avenue.
More than 53 new social rented homes are now ready in the first of five phases which will eventually provide 189 homes and three shops.
Beleaguered Fraser Avenue was previously home to a number of three-storey council flats built in the 1950s and 1960s.
However, the once popular homes became increasingly hard to let and the area run down, and in 2011 the decision was taken to demolish the buildings and build affordable housing in their place.
The regeneration project has been designed to create high quality properties, with a strong local identity, say Kingdom bosses.
Tenants from the original flats are being given the opportunity to move into the new homes and the community has been included in consultation for the future of the estate.
The first phase started on site in May 2017 following the demolition of Fife Council-run blocks of flats.
Kingdom chief executive Bill Banks said: “It has taken many years of partnership working to reach this stage.
“Due to high turnover and low demand, the Fraser Avenue area was designated an estate action area by Fife Council in 2004.
“The project at Fraser Avenue is an excellent example of what can be achieved through a genuine partnership approach.”
The total cost of phase one was around £8 million and the Scottish Government provided around £4.3m in subsidy.
The balance was funded by private finance raised by Kingdom Housing Association.
Fife Council’s housing convener, Labour councillor Judy Hamilton said Fraser Avenue had been a major project for the council and partners.
The previous flats were not energy efficient and were difficult for residents and the local authority to maintain, she added.
“We have taken a community development approach,” she said.
“Community learning and development and Inverkeithing High School community use teams have led a whole process of community activity, so that we have not only the physical regeneration of the new housing with our partners in Kingdom Housing Association, but also the community regeneration.
“This is a fantastic milestone along that journey and I look forward to seeing tenants in their new homes.”
