All the comforts of home at Methil site

Ten sets of occupants accepted the keys to their new properties after a handover ceremony at the Methil Brae site.

The houses are the first in a 100-home development at the former steelworks/Glencast premises.

Work began on the venture almost a year ago and it was seen as a key part of Fife Council’s commitment to tackle the housing needs of the Kingdom’s residents and provide 2700 new affordable dwellings by March 2017.

At Methil, a mixture of one to five-bedroom homes, including semi-detached units, bungalows and cottage flats, form the £12 million Fife Council development, which is being built by Robertson Partnership Homes, with timber frame supplied by Robertson Timber Engineering.

Stewart Shearer, managing director of Robertson Partnership Homes, said: “The first handover of homes at Methil Brae marks a huge milestone for the project and for Robertson Partnership Homes. Local sub-contractors have been heavily involved throughout the build and local apprentices have been given the opportunity to learn valuable skills and take their first steps on the path to a successful career in the construction industry.”

The work included the transformation of an area of derelict, brownfield land across 5.6 hectares.

Among the first tenants to move in were Kevin and Leoni Dewar, who said: “It is such a lovely place to live; very spacious and so comfortable.

“The house is well built with great insulation and lots of modern fittings. We are delighted with it and see it as our forever home.”

Councillor Judy Hamilton, executive spokesman for housing and building services, said house building was picking up pace as the Council entered this “very exciting phase” of its affordable housing programme.

She was glad to be at Methil Brae to meet with tenants, who were delighted with their new homes, and to see the progress on the completion of this development.

“The houses are modern, fit for purpose, and energy efficient, delivering on our commitment to warmer, drier, healthier homes which aim to tackle fuel poverty and improve living standards,” she added.

There were “very significant benefits” for the people who would move in, while apprentices had also been offered “fantastic opportunities”.