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Council Leader Stephen Purcell announces Phase 2 launch of GHA sites to be delivered by Cruden Building and Renewals. Managing Director of CBRL Allan Callaghan and Commercial Director, John White with 4 new apprentices recruited as a direct result of the

Cruden Group: 24th February 2010

Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) has started work on hundreds of high-quality new homes in one of the biggest social housing new-build projects in Scotland this year.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, Glasgow City Council Leader Steven Purcell and GHA's Tenant Chair Sandra Forsythe marked the launch of the £57million project at Shafton Road in Knightswood - one of the first of the sites where work is under way. The project is supported with funds from the Scottish Government and construction is being carried out by Scottish housebuilder Cruden.

A total of 422 homes are planned, in partnership with Scottish housebuilder Cruden, at nine sites across the city in Phase 2 of GHA's new build programme which will provide apprenticeship opportunities for local young people.

The first five sites will see the creation of 147 new homes in Drumchapel, Pollok, Knightswood and Yoker. Work on a further 174 homes at two sites in Linthouse and Pollokshaws is due to start before Christmas while another 101 homes are due to be built on sites in Duke Street/High Street and Govan - with work due to start in Spring next year, subject to planning approval.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "The launch of this new build programme represents a significant step in delivering essential new housing that will benefit GHA tenants.

"The Scottish Government is committed to the regeneration of Glasgow's most disadvantaged communities.

"We will work with our partners to ensure the people of Glasgow reap the benefits from large scale housing and regeneration projects."

Leader of Glasgow City Council, Steven Purcell, said: "At a time when we are seeing increasing pressure on the socially rented housing sector due to the recession it is good to see this phase of GHA's new build programme starting and providing some apprenticeship training too.

"Now more than ever we need to keep up the momentum of offering a substantial number of new affordable homes for the people of Glasgow."

Sandra Forsythe, Tenant Chair of GHA, said: "We are delighted work has started on our Phase 2 new build project and we are really looking forward to handing over the keys of these stunning new homes to the lucky tenants across nine communities in Glasgow.

"We're also thrilled that we have been able to work with Cruden to create apprenticeships specifically for young people in the local catchment area."

The first five sites will see:
26 homes built at Airgold Drive/ Ledmore Drive in Drumchapel
13 at Shafton Road in Knightswood
22 at Halley Place in Yoker
16 at Kempsthorn Crescent in Pollok
70 at Brockburn Road in Pollok
The next two sites to begin later this year will see 81 homes built at Holmfauldhead Drive in Linthouse and 93 at Riverford Road in Pollokshaws.

The remaining two sites are Summertown Road in Govan where 47 homes are planned and Duke Street/High Street where a further 54 are planned.

Tenants serving on all the Local Housing Organisation (LHO) committees in the new-build areas - Great Western Tenant Partnership, Clydeside, Pollok Tenants' Choice, Clydeview, New Shaws, Compass and Cernach, - were closely involved in the specification and design of the new homes. They worked with GHA's new build team, Cruden and their design teams including Glasgow architectural firms Anderson Bell Christie and Hypostyle.

The new properties have between one and four bedrooms and include terraced homes, cottage flats, flats and semi-detached homes. It is planned that 18 will have wheelchair access. The new homes are also environmentally friendly, achieving a 'Very Good' rating under Ecohomes standards, an assessment scheme run by Building Research Establishment Ltd (BRE) which grades each house.

Jim Sneddon, GHA's Executive Director of Regeneration, said: "These new homes are great news for our tenants - and are another piece in the regeneration jigsaw which benefits Glasgow as a whole. As well as building new homes people want to live in, we are determined to help build communities right across the city."

The Community Benefit clause included in all GHA investment contracts delivers local training and employment initiatives which benefit residents of Glasgow. In support of GHA's Community Benefit Clause, Cruden has already created opportunities for four apprentices on the initial sites with further apprenticeships to come across the nine sites. Cruden's four-year apprenticeships are certified by Construction Skills and trainees will work towards a City and Guilds certificate.

Cruden is also creating jobs for local people, two jobs have already been established at the Airgold site and further employment opportunities are being created as the programme rolls out, these being co-ordinated through the city council's Regeneration Agency Network.

Allan Callaghan, managing director of Cruden Building and Renewals Ltd, said: "Cruden is committed to building high quality homes that will regenerate communities across Scotland. In doing so, we are not only providing first class homes, we are also creating real employment opportunities for young people by delivering on-the-job training and teaching life-long skills through our established apprenticeship scheme.

"Our apprenticeship programme provides a solution to help young people gain the practical skills they need such as joinery and plumbing to join the workforce. We aim to work with local people and local firms wherever possible throughout the construction process and it is our hope that the training we deliver will have a lasting impact on the communities long after the homes have been completed."

Case studies: Apprentices

Gary Boyd, 17, started as an apprentice joiner with Cruden in August.
He said: "This is my first job since I left school and I love it. I get a real sense of satisfaction - working all day and seeing the end result of your work at the end of the day is a great feeling.

"We are on site for two or three weeks at a time, then spend a couple of weeks at Clydebank College. I'm learning all the time, developing my skills, and every day there's something different. The timber houses we are building look good and are good quality, too. Cruden is a good company to work for, and I hope to become a tradesman, or even a foreman or site agent, one day. Now I'm earning a wage I can do more things. I am taking driving lessons now, which I would never have been able to do without the apprenticeship."

Willie Steele, 17, of Drumchapel, apprentice joiner taken on by Cruden in August.
Willie said: "The people at the Glasgow West Regeneration Agency put me in touch with Cruden and helped me get an interview. I really enjoy the job. I get a decent wage and I like working with my hands, getting to use all the tools. I like doing a job of work and being proud of it. There's a really good bunch of guys here and they're teaching me things all the time. Cruden is a big company, so hopefully there will be opportunities for guys like me in the future. These GHA houses will look really good. They're much nicer and better quality than the old, tired houses you see in Drumchapel. With the area getting better homes, and local guys like me getting apprenticeships, everyone benefits."

Cruden Building & Renewals Ltd and Cruden Estates Ltd have combined forces to bring expertise in the areas of regeneration and residential property, working in partnership with GHA.