A defunct children’s home has been transformed as part of a multi-million-pound drive to create more council houses across Perthshire.
The facility, in Perth’s Nimmo Place, has been fully refurbished and converted into six modern flats.
The new block was officially opened on Monday morning to mark Scottish Housing Day.
Perth and Kinross Council said the project was specifically designed to help tenants minimise energy bills, while reducing the local authority’s carbon footprint.
Council leader Ian Miller and housing and health convener Dave Doogan attended the opening ceremony.
Mr Miller said: “As a council we are committed to increasing our affordable housing stock through projects like this, as well as our ongoing programme of new builds and our ‘buy back’ scheme to purchase local authority homes.
“We will continue to look for buildings that can be developed for social housing, so we can provide as much affordable social housing as we can in Perth and Kinross.”
Mr Doogan added: “The council has constructed over 200 new council homes during the last three years. Alongside this, we are always looking for possible redevelopment sites where disused buildings can be refurbished to provide valuable affordable accommodation for people.
“Bringing disused buildings back into use has been one of my priorities since I became convener in 2012.”
As well as the work at Nimmo Place, former offices at St Catherine’s Road were recently turned into eight flats and a bedsit. A former police station in the city’s Glengarry Road has also been converted.
Mr Doogan said: “These fantastic developments have all brought on stream much-needed social housing. They have also significantly improved the environment for people living nearby the sites.”
A handful of residents objected to the £360,000 refurbishment at Nimmo Place when plans were tabled in 2015. Opponents argued that there may not be enough space for parking.
However, planners reviewed the site and ruled that it was sufficient for vehicle movements around the new block.
Earlier this month, a Coupar Angus resident became the 500th council tenant to have new windows and doors fitted under a programme of home improvements.
The £6,600,000 window and exterior door replacement plan is being carried out by Perth and Kinross Council in partnership with local company Sidey.
Scottish Housing Day is an awareness event aimed at bringing together organisations working in Scotland’s housing sector.
