HOUSING CRISIS: SSEN Transmission pledges to deliver 400 new homes in Highland
In the midst of the housing emergency facing the Highlands, SSEN Transmission has pledged to support the delivery of more than 400 new homes in the region.
The energy company is working with councils, registered social landlords and other housing organisations to deliver the new homes as part of its £20 billion investment to upgrade the transmission network.
These homes will initially be for workers upgrading the local energy infrastructure to support Scotland’s net-zero targets - but no exact locations have been named.
Workers’ accommodation will be required to deliver the proposed projects, and SSEN Transmission is aiming to create a legacy in the communities that will host its workforce by delivering housing that will support local need when the projects are completed.
The scale of this delivery of new housing in local authority areas in the north of Scotland includes Aberdeenshire, and elsewhere, totally more than 1000 new homes. Further announcements with details of local housing projects in different council areas will be made in the coming months.
At present, 4000 people in the Highlands are living in overcrowded accommodation, and a further 2000 are living in ‘unfit’ properties where at least one aspect of the property is in ‘very poor’ condition.
More than 24,000 new houses are needed in the Highland Council region over the next 10 years.
Inverness Provost Glynis Campbell Sinclair, who is also Highland Council’s housing and property committee chairwoman said: “We are working with partners and developers across the private and public sector to identify creative solutions to deliver new homes and we very much welcome innovative proposals such as this coming forward for consideration.
“SSEN Transmission has embraced the provision of legacy housing, which is a key part of our Social Value from Renewables Charter, and I look forward to many other companies coming forward with the same level of intent.”
Earlier this month, SSEN Transmission's new hub helping drive offshore renewable developments in the region opened in Inverness. SSEN is carrying out a range of offshore grid reinforcements - such as new overhead lines, substations, convertor stations, and subsea cables - in anticipation of further renewables growth in the Highlands as the region pushes towards net-zero.
Rob McDonald, SSEN Transmission’s managing director, said: “This is a significant and innovative contribution to addressing the housing challenges in the north of Scotland, and it also demonstrates how we can work in partnership to develop imaginative proposals that will deliver new homes and act as a template for other developers.
“Discussions are ongoing with local authorities, developers and registered social landlords over the location and scale of potential projects, and we expect to make further announcements in the coming months that will demonstrate substantial benefits to local communities.”
SSEN Transmission will outline its plans at the Housing Challenge Summit taking place in Aviemore today, where it will launch its new housing strategy.
The Scottish Government’s housing minister Paul McLennan said: “I welcome the innovative approach being taken by SSEN Transmission to support the delivery of an additional 1000 new homes across the north of Scotland. These homes will initially be for workers upgrading the local energy infrastructure to support Scotland’s net-zero targets and will support a longer-term legacy across the region.
“Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in our communities. We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 70 per cent for social rent and at least 10 per cent in our rural and island communities supported by our Rural and Island Housing Action Plan.”
Carolyn Lochhead, director of external affairs at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Our members are looking forward to working alongside SSEN Transmission to provide much-needed homes across the north of Scotland.
“The housing emergency has hit rural Scotland particularly hard and has exacerbated so many other existing challenges such as depopulation, labour shortages, and underinvestment in rural communities.
“This investment will be vital for communities across the north of Scotland and is a good example of collaborative working to increase the supply of housing.”
