Montrosians are hoping the first council houses to be built in the town for nearly 30 years will get the go-ahead.
A full planning application for a £6.4 million development of new council housing has just been lodged. Angus Council intends to build 45 houses at the site called Dungman’s Tack in Wishart Avenue and on the site of Wirren House, with work starting by the end of the year.
The project will create 29 houses at Dungman’s Tack and a further 16 houses nearby on the site of former care home Wirren House. That building is being used as an alternative sports venue during the construction of the new Montrose swimming pool and sports centre refurbishment.
Wirren House will be demolished when no longer required for the decant. The application also includes a boilerhouse to provide a district heating system to all 45 houses in the programme.
Pending approval of the full planning application, work is expected to start on the first phase of the project, at Dungman’s Tack, at the end of 2011 with building on the cleared site of Wirren House expected to be completed in 2013.
Montrose community councillor Thomas Stewart said there was a desperate need for council housing and giving the green light to the proposals would lead to the tidying-up of what has become an unkempt and overgrown eyesore site in a prominent position.
“I think it is fantastic that Angus Council is looking to build new council housing,” he said.
The last council houses built in the town were those at Caledonia Place, which went up in the early 1980s. The last major council housing development was at Borrowfield in the mid 1970s but many of these houses have now passed into private ownership, leaving the council with just a few pockets of local authority-owned dwellings some that have become undesirable to tenants and hard to let.
“We need new housing,” said Mr Stewart. “There’s not enough large size houses in the town for families. They are at a premium.”
He added that he knew of one family desperate to get a council house in Montrose. They tried the local authority and local housing associations but in the end were forced to leave the town and settle in a private let in Arbroath.
“They didn’t want to move away from the town but had no option,” said Mr Stewart. “They just couldn’t get a house in Montrose.
“New council houses would be very welcome. I always thought when they started putting (council) houses up for sale all these years ago that money should have been reinvested in more council houses but it was not. It would be good to see them start building again.”
Montrose councillor Paul Valentine said there was a waiting list for council housing in the town and many people were appealing for help from their councillor because they were finding it impossible to get a local authority home.
“We definitely are in need of social housing in Montrose,” he said. “There is quite a big waiting list and I would think each of the four Angus councillors in Montrose could tell stories of people coming to them looking for council housing. Unfortunately, there just are not the properties
“It is very welcome to see planning permission for council housing being applied for.”