Designed by Stuart Bishop Architects (SBA), the formal handover of the development, comprising 8 houses and 9 apartments, took place at the end of September. New tenants have been moving in during October and have provided extremely positive feedback on their new homes.

Andrew Richards, managing director of Glenesk Homes, said: “We are delighted to have built and handed over these brand-new homes to Paragon Housing Association and their tenants, doing our bit to help meet Scotland’s critical need for affordable housing.

“Glenesk Homes has worked with its supply chain (many of whom are local and central-based) to provide high-quality, energy-efficient homes which people can be proud to live in. It has been a pleasure working with our supply chain and with our client (Paragon Housing Association and its partners C~urb and Langmuir & Hay), alongside our architects and structural engineers (SBA and Bayne Stevenson Associates), to bring this development to life.”

Handover marked a particular milestone for architecture firm SBA, which has been involved in the design of the site for over five years, an indication of the site’s significant physical, contextual and commercial constraints. The brownfield site, formerly the Westquarter Workers Welfare building, had lain derelict for a number of years; an eyesore and waste ground within an existing neighbourhood.

Stuart Bishop, managing director of SBA, said: “We are delighted for the new tenants and the existing residents of Westquarter and to have played a significant role in the regeneration of this very challenging development site. From day one, we recognised the design had to provide a pragmatic and sensitive design solution, whilst maximising unit numbers to be commercially viable.”

Extensive dialogue with the Falkirk planning department assisted the design process, leading to a high quality design and optimised unit numbers on the constrained site. Reduced parking standards were carefully negotiated with planning, one of the first residential sites in Falkirk to achieve this in recent years.

The regeneration has provided much needed new homes in Westquarter for Registered Social Landlord Paragon Housing Association.

Margaret Torrance, director of the Association, said: “We are delighted to have worked with our partners on this project and for the support from Falkirk Council and the Scottish Government. The development provides much needed, good quality, affordable homes in the area.

“The feedback we have had from the new tenants has been great. It was a pleasure to witness their reactions as they viewed and signed up for their new homes. Our thanks go to all members of the Glenesk Homes team and the wider supply chain for their hard work in getting this project successfully completed.”