Fife Council has confirmed it will continue to deliver affordable housing for its residents, despite the budget cuts it is currently facing.

The local authority has already said it plans to deliver 2,700 new homes for rent by 2017. To date, around 750 of these properties have been constructed and occupied.

The latest investment to the scheme is a 21-home development in Cellardyke. Work by contractor Muir Homes will begin at the old Silverdyke Caravan Park on Windmill Road, and is expected to be completed by Autumn 2015. It will be made up of a mix of one- and two-bedroom cottage flats, two-bedroom semi-detached bungalows, two- and three-bedroom houses and one four-bedroom house.

Councillor Judy Hamilton, Fife Council's Executive spokesperson for Housing and Building Services, said: "At a time when we are considering the tough challenges that our budget pressures bring, it's important that we continue to tackle the housing need of Fife residents."


Visiting the site, Councillor Hamilton added: "The announcement of this development is the latest progress in the Council's biggest programme of new affordable housing for many years. It is continuing to deliver the first new council homes in Fife for a generation.

"As with Silverdykes, many of these houses are within a mixed development of home owners, private renters and social housing.

"This announcement is another important landmark as North East Fife is an area of high demand with low turnover. Wherever possible, new properties will be allocated to existing tenants. It could be someone looking to downsize or a family that needs more bedrooms.

"This means that, in turn, we can offer the vacated homes to other families on the housing list too – so many more than 21 families will benefit from these 21 new homes."

Peter Brogan, Muir Homes Managing Director, commented: "Muir Homes is delighted to be working in partnership with Fife Council in bringing this much needed new affordable housing to the Anstruther area.

"We hope to continue our relationship with Fife Council on many other sites in Fife, delivering the high quality housing that is in so much demand."

(JP/MH)