Grandhome Infrastructure Works Update
Work on site for the first phase of supporting infrastructure for the new community of Grandhome resumed on 9 January, following the holidays.
A spokesman for civil engineering and utility contractor W M Donald said: “Works are progressing to programme to create the landscaping, core roads and utilities, including water, electricity, gas, telecoms and drainage, that will provide the framework for the first homes and neighbourhood. Bringing these services onto the site requires the installation of temporary traffic management measures in the area over the coming weeks. These are being promoted locally via signage and in the local media. Details are also provided online. The works are being scheduled to avoid peak travel to and from work times to minimise the inconvenience to local residents.”
Grandhome is a planned new community for Aberdeen which will set new standards in the region for place making in terms of its built environment, sense of place, civic amenities and quality of life.
A £7.2 million contract awarded last year involves W M Donald putting in place the first phase of infrastructure needed to support around 200 homes at Laverock Braes, the community’s first neighbourhood. This includes laying more than 800 metres of road, the installation of external street lighting and landscaping on the site. Underground infrastructure is also being installed to bring essential services onto the site, including drainage, water, gas, electricity and telecoms.
As part of the works, two new access junctions are being created onto the existing road network at Whitestripes Avenue, along with an off-site pedestrian crossing to promote pedestrian access to and from the community.
The infrastructure works are being supported by a £7.9 million loan from the Scottish Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Grandhome occupies a 320 hectare site located six kilometres north-west of Aberdeen city centre. With long-term potential for 7,000 homes, the community is being planned and developed by The Grandhome Trust, a family-led entity that has held the land for more than 300 years. The Trust has a vision to create a community of exemplary quality in terms of its built environment, sense of place, civic amenities and quality of life.
The community will be built according to a masterplan which has been designed over the past decade by an internationally recognised team of architects in consultation with the local community. The masterplan is complemented by a design code that will ensure the community meets consistent and high standards throughout its development phases.
Bruce Smith, trustee and spokesman for the Grandhome Trust, said: “The infrastructure works for Grandhome’s first neighbourhood, Laverock Braes, are progressing to programme as we move from more than a decade of planning to the delivery of our vision. The first phase of infrastructure works will ensure that the plots are ready for our housebuilding partners to move onsite later this year to develop the first new homes for what will be an exemplary new community for the north-east of Scotland.
“Grandhome is an important vote of confidence in the future of the city as a place in which to live, work and invest and will set new standards for quality while meeting a significant proportion of the city’s future housing needs,” said Mr Smith.
The creation of Grandhome will bring significant economic activity to the city with an investment of almost £1 billion in homes and infrastructure over the next 40 years. It is forecast to support almost 600 construction jobs annually and the first five phases of development, equivalent to 4,700 homes of which 1,175 will be affordable homes, will accommodate around 11,500 residents with annual household expenditure totalling £110 million.