The first homes of an innovative council housing development in Kilmarnock are now under construction for East Ayrshire Council by their strategic developer, CCG (Scotland).
Located on Kennedy Drive, the 48 dwellings are being built by the Glasgow-based construction and manufacturing group and are designed to meet a range of needs for people including general needs, wheelchair accessible and older ambulant disabled residents.
It is also the third and largest development that is designed to achieve (regulated) operational net zero carbon.
Regulated operational energy is that which is consumed by the building and its controlled fixed services and systems such as heating, hot water, cooling, ventilation, fans, pumps and lighting.
In order to achieve net zero emissions from regulated energy, each home utilises a range of renewable technologies including the installation of air source heat pumps instead of “polluting systems” such as gas boilers, and solar PV panels that will be installed on each roof.
CCG’s expertise in the manufacture of timber systems — super-insulated wall zones — integrated with their own triple-glazed windows and enhanced door sets will create an advanced building fabric that will naturally retain warmth and reduce heat loss as well as lowering energy consumption.
The combination of these measures means the homes are compliant with upcoming changes to affordable housebuilding standards in Scotland and tackle fuel poverty.
CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “Kennedy Drive will be the tenth development that CCG, in partnership with MAST Architects, will have delivered on behalf of East Ayrshire Council in the last seven years and it is the latest example of how collaboration and housing-led regeneration is delivering real change in communities like Kilmarnock.
“CCG’s experience in the applied research of net zero dates back to 2019. We acknowledged that with changes to Building Regulations, brought forward by the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Act, we had to have a practical, scalable and affordable solution that addressed the removal of gas heating systems which will prohibited in new-build homes from 1st April 2024.
“This resulted in the creation of the ‘CCG Net Zero Home’, a building standard that is oven-ready to these forthcoming legislative requirements and one which has been used to deliver over 600 homes since its launch in 2021.
“Our applied research has not only helped clients begin their transition to net zero earlier, it has helped create a future-proof method of addressing localised housing need and demand across the breadth of the country.
“In our 50th year of business, CCG proudly stands at the forefront of sustainable housebuilding in Scotland and we thank East Ayrshire Council for their continued trust and support.”
The legacy of Kennedy Drive will also extend beyond the development and the positive impact on the environment as a result of a series of community benefit obligations that CCG will meet during the construction programme.
Since 2017, CCG has donated over £60,000 to community-based projects as well as created jobs, apprenticeships and work placements across East Ayrshire as a result of their strategic housebuilding programme with the Council.
To date, the contractor has created two full-time jobs — including a resident from the KA1 postcode area — as well as two work placements for two tradesmen whom work on behalf of the Council. CCG has also attended career events that has informed engagement with secondary school pupils from across the regional area.
The project is being developed with £5.147m of grant funding from the Scottish Government and will contribute to their target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
