PfP/OIC Strategic Cooperation Agreement – Presentation to Housing Market Partnership

Duncan Bertram – Senior Development Manager (Land), Scotland

26th March 2026

© Places for People 2024

Because Community Matters

Introductions

Neil Ross

Developments Director (Scotland) | Places for People Developments

Duncan Bertram

Senior Development Manager (Land) – Scotland | Places for People Developments

Kelly Brown

Director – Places for People Scotland

Ciara Toland

Head of Communities – Places for People Scotland

Susan Davies

Development Manager – Scotland | Places for People Developments

IMAGE: Five portrait photographs accompany the introductions: Neil Ross, Duncan Bertram, Kelly Brown, Ciara Toland and Susan Davies. Their names and roles are identified in the surrounding text.

Context

• Initial visit to Orkney Islands Council took place February 2024.
• Solicitors instructed on Strategic Cooperation Agreement in November 2024.
• Delegated authority to enter into the Strategic Cooperation Agreement approved at Policy and Resources Committee and ratified at Full Council July 2025.
• SHIP approved at committee and ratified at Full Council October 2025.
• Concluded Strategic Cooperation Agreement November 2025.
• Visit and Stakeholder Engagement January 2025.
• Presentation to Housing Market Partnership March 2026.

Places for People Group

IMAGE: Aerial view of a residential community with houses, roads, trees, open green space and a sports field. The image contains the text “Places for People” and the Places for People logo.

• Places for People is the UK’s leading Social Enterprise.
• We are a network of companies, creating happy, inclusive and sustainable Communities.
• We own or manage more than 262,000 homes.
• In 2024-25 we delivered 2,296 new homes.
• Our profits are reinvested into our communities and in 2024-25 we generated £500m to invest in social value schemes.
• We recognize that the housing emergency affects all communities.

IMAGE: A community gardening scene shows a person gardening in the foreground, with other people and residential buildings in the background.

Places for People Scotland (PfPS)

Places for People Scotland - Growth

• Places for People Scotland are responsible for 7,966 properties in Scotland, with the vast majority being for Social Rent.
• Our 5 year business plan supports the continued growth of development handovers, estimated at over 1,700 units over 5 years – with our proposals for Orkney included within the business plan.

IMAGE: A map of Scotland and its surrounding islands is shown beside the text about Places for People Scotland’s properties and five-year development plan.

Places for People Scotland - Operations

• Our Communities matter, which is why we take pride in our track record of delivering for our Communities;
• Our focus is on delivering a faster, more reliable service, with 95% of emergency repairs now responded to within 24 hours.
• We take Community Safety and tackling Anti-Social Behaviour very seriously. During 2024/25 we achieved a resolution rate of 94.04% for ASB with a total of 503 cases addressed.
• Our financial inclusion team in Scotland supported 754 Customers to generate an additional £2 million in income through rent related benefits, disability benefits, and earnings replacement.

IMAGE: A photograph shows an older woman wearing gardening gloves and sitting among flowers in a community garden.

Places for People Scotland - Operations

IMAGE: An infographic titled “Our 2024/25 KPIs in Scotland:” gives the following figures and descriptions: 568 people supported towards education, employment and training; 4,243 people helped with financial and digital inclusion, including hardship funding; 6,304 people supported through projects targeting health and wellbeing; 54 projects supported to create thriving Communities; 8,367 people supported through projects targeting sustainable, resilient Communities; £31,700 raised from external sources to support social value activities; 12,807 people supported through Community projects; and £14m in social value generated through core work and social impact activities, measured using HACT Social Value Bank and other frameworks. The infographic also includes the text “Performance Report 2024/25”, “Places for People Scotland” and “16”.

Strategic Cooperation Agreement and Development Programme

Strategic Cooperation Agreement

• Commitment to develop a land pipeline for the delivery of 500 new homes.
• 60% of the homes will be affordable tenures, supporting OIC’s target for 1,035 new homes by 2034.
• Establishes a Permanent Working Group consisting officers from OIC and representatives from Places for People to support the delivery of the agreement and the development programme.
• Commitment to engaging with local contractors and consultants in the procurement and tendering process and ensure community benefit provisions are considered.

IMAGE: A photograph shows a development of white homes with dark roofs, set beside a large area of grass, with hills and mountains in the background.

SHIP Allocated Sites

IMAGE: A satellite map of Kirkwall marks four proposed sites in red: “K6 – Soulisquoy 100 units”, “K15 – Weyland 200 Units”, “K28 – Papdale Halls 60 Units” and “K14 – Berstane 250 Units”. The map also labels Kirkwall, St Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall Grammar School, The Pickaquoy Centre, Kirkwall Youth Hostel, Lynfield Hotel & Restaurant 4 Star Rated, and surrounding roads and landmarks. The map includes the text “Imagery ©2025 Airbus, CNES / Airbus, Landsat / Copernicus, Maxar Technologies”.

Overall Project Timeline – Target Dates

• November 2025 – Concluded Strategic Cooperation Agreement
• January 2026 – Orkney Visit
  • Stakeholder engagement – OIC; OHA; Contractors
  • Site Visits
• January 2026 – June 2026: Due Diligence
  • Architectural procurement exercise
  • Legal and technical diligence on SHIP Allocated Sites
• June 2026 – December 2027: Progress Development Site to Site Acquisition
• January 2028: Commence Construction
• January 2029: Completion of first homes.

IMAGE: A promotional graphic reads “NHBC Pride in the Job Awards 2024”, “Regional Award winner” and “#PIJ2024”, alongside a photograph of a person holding an award. Below it is a photograph of a white house with blue trim under construction, surrounded by safety barriers.

Update on Architectural Procurement

• Procuring Architectural Services via Places for People’s in-house Procurement Hub. Appointment to cover first two sites to be developed.
• Mini Design Competition for notional 100 unit site.
  • A significant portion of the Tender will be based on the proposed layout and an accompanying Design Statement which will need to demonstrate the following;
    • Understanding of OIC planning policy context
    • Placemaking and built form
    • Boundaries and Edges
    • Open Space and Landscaping
    • Access, Permeability and Roads
    • Commerciality
  • Assessment criteria has been largely informed by the Council’s structure for site Development Briefs and has been reviewed with Gavin Barr.
• Anticipate Tender Returns 11th May.

IMAGE: A logo reads “PROCUREMENT HUB” beside a multicoloured abstract emblem.

Q&A

Duncan Bertram

Senior Development Manager (Land) – Scotland | Places for People Developments

IMAGE: A portrait photograph of Duncan Bertram appears beside the Q&A heading and his job title.