Social Bite's £3m Rutherglen homeless village approved for 16 eco-friendly houses
Plans have been approved to build a £3million homeless village in Rutherglen.
Homeless charity Social Bite put forward the plans to build the development on the site of the former Westfield Saw Mills on Harriet Street in the Lanarkshire town.
The "vibrant hub" will include 16 contemporary, eco-friendly homes - called Nest Houses - designed to "foster social interaction and promote individual development through skill-building, recovery services, and personalised assistance". There will be accommodation for 15 tenants with one home assigned to on-site staff.
The plans also include a "serene" outdoor area to "enhance relaxation and wellbeing".
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Construction on the development is due to begin in early 2025 and will be completed by summer of the same year.
Councillor Davie McLachlan said: “Social Bite have a proven track record of delivering similar projects and we look forward to working in partnership with them.
“The site has been designed to ensure that it will integrate with its wider surroundings, is sustainable and can provide a range of services.
“It was great to see that the project received the unanimous backing of the Planning Committee as well as the Housing and Technical Resources Committee.”
Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn said it was "brilliant" to see the development's approval.
He continued: “It was revealed today that Scottish homelessness is at its highest in 10 years and we are proud to be part of the solution which is not just needed but completely essential.
"We have seen first-hand from our Edinburgh village the huge impact these make on those living in them and we’re excited to build on this success and help make lasting change in the fight to end homelessness in Scotland."
The village is due to begin construction in early 2025 with plans for completion by summer that year.
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