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Scotland’s largest housing association unveils plans to develop 5,500 homes over next five years
The largest social landlord in Scotland has pledged to build 5,500 new homes across the country by 2026.
Wheatley Group, which is the fourth largest housing association in the UK, said all of the homes it develops will be either social housing or mid-market rent.
The new development plans would mark a 38% increase on the 4,000 homes built by Wheatley in the past five years.
Its pipeline includes 800 social rent homes being developed by Dumfries and Galloway Housing Partnership, which joined Wheatley Group at the end of 2019.
For the past four years Wheatley has been ranked the UK’s largest developer of social rent homes in Inside Housing’s Biggest Builders survey.
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During the past year, which saw Scottish construction completely halted for several months due to the coronavirus pandemic, Wheatley completed 413 homes in Glasgow, West Lothian, West Dunbartonshire, Edinburgh and Dumfries & Galloway.
Work is currently underway to build 1,229 homes across 25 sites, with 16 more sites in development.
This autumn work will begin on Wheatley’s largest new build project at West Craigs in Edinburgh, which will see more than 300 homes built over the next five years.
The announcement by Wheatley comes one week after the Scottish National Party was re-elected to lead the Scottish government on a manifesto that included a commitment to deliver 100,000 affordable homes over the next decade.
Tom Barclay, director of property and development at Wheatley, said: “We’re delighted with the progress of our new build programme, especially during one of the most challenging years for the construction industry.
“Our continued investment in affordable housing allows us to make a real contribution to housing at a national level. This type of investment is only possible due to our size and scale and by working with our strategic partners, including local authorities and the Scottish government.
“Our new build programme has already made a real and lasting difference to communities all over Scotland, and the new homes we’re building will help transform the lives of those who live in them.”
