Dounby housing takes step forward

A proposed Council housing development in Dounby has taken a step forward this week. 

The potential development at Makerhouse could consist of eight social rented houses and three affordable serviced sites. 

The proposed Council housing mix is 6 one-bedroom homes, 1 two-bedroom home and 1 three-bedroom home, reflecting the profile of housing need in Dounby where the majority of applicants require smaller accommodation.

Elected Members at today’s meeting of the Education, Communities and Housing Committee recommended that the project should be moved to Stage 2 of the Council’s Capital Project Appraisal – meaning that a Full Business Case will now be put together for the project, which will be submitted to the Policy and Resources Committee at a future date.

That recommendation will now go forward to Full Council at the end of this month.

If approved through future stages of the appraisal process, the development would help increase housing supply in Dounby and provide additional opportunities for people to live and remain within the community.

The project is part of the Council’s Strategic Housing Investment Plan which sets out the Council’s affordable housing development priorities over a five-year period. 

That Plan is informed by the Local Housing Strategy, approved in June 2024, which established a Housing Supply Target of 103 homes per annum over 10 years, with a 60/40 split between affordable and private housing.