Ellis Mackenzie, Author at hhainverness

HHA boosts Highland rental market

HHA has welcomed the first residents to three developments delivered in a strategic partnership with Tulloch Homes.

HHA has taken handover of eight homes at The Maples in Inverness, eight in Highland View, Kirkhill, and four in Aviemore. The homes are all available at mid-market rent, which is priced typically lower than private rent and slightly higher than affordable housing.

In total, the partnership will deliver 75 new rental homes for Highland communities. This includes 45 in Aviemore, featuring a high-quality mix of two-bedroom apartments and cottage flats, and 22 in Inverness, including a mix of two- and three-bedroom homes. Located on the outskirts of Inverness, the picturesque village of Kirkhill now features eight new MMR homes, including two and three-bedroom properties.

With the first 20 homes now complete, the construction of the remaining 55 homes will continue over the next 18 months, with phased move-in dates for residents expected until late 2025. The £15 million HHA and Tulloch Homes partnership has been supported by funding from the Scottish Government, the Highland Council, and the City Region Deal.

In a separate contract with Tulloch Homes, HHA has also taken handover of six new homes at the Pinefield housing development, Carrbridge. In addition to the MMR homes, the wider development will feature social housing managed by The Highland Council and homes available for private sale.

Gillian Cain has recently moved into a HHA home at the Pinefield development with her partner and two young children. After renting privately for years, Gillian applied to rent with HHA and was delighted when she was allocated a brand new home at the highly sought after development.

Gillian said: “Finding suitable and fairly priced rental accommodation in Carrbridge has been challenging for some years now. Applying to rent with HHA was straightforward and I couldn’t be any happier with my new home, it’s spacious and modern, and importantly the wider development is family friendly and safe.

“I wok in a local primary school and homes are important to ensure services and local businesses can survive. Whilst Carrbridge is small, we attract a lot of tourists throughout the year given its wonderful, picturesque setting, but we need people living here to make it a viable tourist destination.”

Gail Matheson, CEO at HHA, said: “There remains significant pressure on the rental market across the Highlands, with the Scottish Government’s declaration of a national housing emergency underlining the urgency for more homes. For every home HHA has available, we attract between 80 and 100 applicants. This is the highest demand we have ever experienced.

“Our partnership with Tulloch Homes has introduced MMR homes at landmark developments, enhancing tenure options for local people and we’re really pleased to already hear from our tenants about how much they are enjoying their new homes.

“The delivery of high-quality yet well-priced new homes must be prioritised across the region, especially as we anticipate more people looking for homes in the area, with the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport anticipated to create more than 10,000 new jobs.”

What Not to Flush

When it comes to the toilet, many of us have an “out of sight, out of mind” approach to flushing things away: so long as it’ll flush down, we don’t have to worry about what we’ve put in the toilet. Unfortunately, when it comes to our plumbing systems, what we can’t see can hurt us. Clogs in the pipes can cause, at minimum an awful smell, and at worst, burst pipes, overflowing drains, and a backup of waste that you likely won’t want to be returning to your toilet. To keep bathroom plumbing moving, what shouldn’t we be flushing?

Baby Products

Nappies and baby wipes are not flushable and can cause clogs in pipes and drains that may be costly to fix and aromatically unpleasant to deal with. Nappies and baby wipes should always be disposed of in the bin – even flushable wipes should go in the bin. The reason that it’s ok to flush toilet paper is that it disintegrates after flushing, which many flushable wipes can’t do, and this will eventually lead to blockages. It is also terrible for the environment to flush such products, so think before you flush.

Condoms and Menstrual Products

Sanitary pads and tampons are designed to absorb liquids, so flushing them might cause them to expand in your pipes and clog them up. With this in mind, it’s always better to dispose of them in the bin. The same goes for condoms – the material they’re made of won’t break down in water, so they will collect in the pipes and clog them – it’s best to put them in the bin, too!

Disposable Personal Hygiene Products

Items like dental floss, cotton pads and cotton buds can all cause blockages because they’re not designed to break down in water. Much like sanitary pads, cotton pads that can be used for applying cosmetics or removing nail polish will absorb liquids, and they can bunch together and cause blockages in the pipes.

Food and Grease

Cooking grease and oil can be extremely harmful to your pipes. When cooking grease cools down, it solidifies, and this can cause blockages in your pipes, be it your kitchen sink or toilet. You might also be tempted to put waste food down the toilet, but that can also cause blockages as it takes the food so long to break down in the pipes. To dispose of grease, it’s best to wait until it cools and pop it in your waste food bin, alongside any food you might have thought to put down the toilet!

If you’re a tenant having issues with your toilet, don’t hesitate to call us. You can reach us on 01463 251133 during office hours.

HHA Festive Fire Safety Blog

Christmas is a time for family and fun – it’s all about spending time with the people you love being with and having a wonderful time eating, drinking, and being merry. Unfortunately, the risk of house fires and casual􀆟es increase during the festive season, so while we don’t want the merriment to end, it also means taking some extra precautions to make sure that Christmas time is as safe as it is enjoyable.

KITCHEN

Christmas time and cooking often go hand in hand, with turkey dinners and a few festive apples being the order of the day for many of us. These are some of the best parts of celebrating during the festive season, but they also require some care and aten􀆟on.

People who live with conditions that can make them forgetful, or take medication which can cause this, should be extra careful when they’re cooking this winter. It’s a good idea to make sure your smoke alarms are in working condition, and fitting a heat alarm can also help provide extra peace of mind in the kitchen. It’s incredibly important not to leave hot oil unatended as this can pose an especially high risk of fire.

LIVING ROOM

Unplugging lights when you’re not using them in your home, especially when you go out or go to bed, is impera􀆟ve. It’s also good to remember that lights get very hot, and you or your family are at risk of burns if you touch lights that are on or have recently been on. With that in mind, try to keep lights away from material that can scorch or burn easily, like paper or fabric.

If you’re using portable heaters in your living room to keep warm, never cover them – don’t drape things over them or use them to dry clothes, and keep them away from furniture or curtains. Fitting a carbon monoxide detector in rooms where you use gas or paraffin heaters can help avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, as can using these heaters in a larger, ventilated space.

BEDROOM

Candles are lovely for creating a Christmasy feeling in a room, but always remember to extinguish them before you go to bed. Put them on heat-resistant surfaces, and out of the way of children or any fabrics which could easily catch fire, like ribbons or Christmas cards.

Cosying up under an electric blanket is wonderful on a cold night, but always remember to switch it off when you’re in bed unless it’s marked as suitable for all-night use. Keep an eye out for things that don’t look right with your blanket, like scorch marks, fraying fabrics or exposed wires, which are a sign that your blanket isn’t safe to use.

Remember to make sure your home is safe before you go to bed. If you’ve been drinking or taking drugs, you’ll be more likely to fall asleep, but less likely to acknowledge the signs that a fire may have started in your home. They can also make it more difficult for you to escape a fire as you might be disorientated. Smoking is the main cause of deaths from fire in the home – it is always best to step outside for a cigarete to prevent any risk.

To help get your home winter safe, you can book a free home fire safety visit from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, who can give you advice and even install smoke alarms for free. To request a visit, call 0800 0731 999, or visit www.firescotland.gov.uk.

In the event of a fire, always dial 999.

HHA to help deliver 400 new homes for Inverness community

HHA is pleased that alongside property group, Hazledene, we have secured planning permission from The Highland Council to deliver a mixed-use development in Milton of Leys, near Inverness. The project has been managed by Glasgow based property group, Park Lane.

Located to the south of the city, the 25.2 acre development is near the A9 interchange. Featuring 400 homes, importantly 50 per cent of the housing is set to be affordable and will include a mix of apartments and family homes, attractive to a range of demographics.

As well as homes that are available for private sale, a selection of the housing will be used exclusively for mid-market-rent, giving further tenure options for local people as the demand for new rental homes across the city continues to outstrip supply.

Designed by the Inverness team at architect firm, ThreeSixty Architecture, the masterplan encompasses plentiful green space, children’s play areas and active transport links that will connect the development to nearby amenities. Retention of the existing trees has also been detailed in plans.

The site will also feature a commercial use to the north, that was green-lighted by The Highland Council in a separate planning application in May 2023. This eight-acre site is expected to attract a range of businesses and services, including potential for community uses.

Park Lane and HHA have also committed to significant developer contributions as part of the planning conditions. This includes funding for local schools and community infrastructure.

Brian Clarke, joint managing director at Park Lane, said: “Alongside the wider project team, we are incredibly pleased to secure planning approval from The Highland Council to deliver a mixed-use development that will provide long-term housing options for the local community.

“The lack of social housing across the Highland region has been well-documented and by including a 50 per cent provision in our masterplan, we will help to alleviate the pressurised market that has no signs of slowing. Our planning application represents significant investment to the region, that will create positive economic and social benefit to residents for generations to come.”

Throughout the planning process, HHA and Park Lane have engaged with key stakeholders in community consultation exercises, including Inshes and Milton of Leys Community Council, to gather feedback that has been reflected in final proposals.

Gail Matheson, CEO at HHA, said: “HHA wholly welcomes the successful planning determination and we now look forward to now bringing our vision to life in partnership with Park Lane, The Highland Council and Scottish Government.

“The new development at Milton of Leys represents one of the largest purpose-built developments in Inverness in the last ten years. Importantly, the mix of ownership and tenure options will be beneficial for many groups of people that are in need of a new home and it is a model that should be considered by more developers going forward, given its attractiveness to more than one demographic.

“The Highland-wide Local Development Plan identifies that there is an acute need for more affordable housing options and HHA is pleased to help push forward their ambitious housing targets.”