Countesswells, Aberdeen’s newest town, has celebrated another accolade after receiving a High Commendation in the ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ at a ceremony event hosted by the Saltire Society.
Endorsed by the Scottish Government, the ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ celebrates and highlights the new and creative ways in which housing in Scotland is delivered. It also encourages developers to be more innovative and deliver housing that creates wider benefits in areas such as social care, sustainability and adaptability.
This accolade follows Countesswells’ recent success at the RICS Awards 2018, where it was honoured as the winner of the best ‘Residential Property’ category. In addition, Stewart Milne Homes, the first developer at Countesswells, won large ‘Private Development of the Year’ at last month’s Homes for Scotland Annual Awards for its work on the first neighbourhood of Regency Place.
Entrants for the Saltire Society ‘Innovation in Housing Awards’ were judged on their contribution to creating desirable living environments, how they have met and delivered on housing needs, the aesthetics and quality of the community and on whether they have made Scotland a better place because of the project.
Stuart MacGregor, group finance director at Stewart Milne Group, said: “Countesswells is growing to become one of Scotland’s most vibrant and exciting new communities. To be recognised by the Saltire Society with a High Commendation in this awards category, and to have already won a series of accolades at such an early stage of the project, is testament to our meticulous planning, design and delivery of an entirely new community.
“Our aim is to make Countesswells one of the greenest, most attractive places to live in the North-east and this recognition of our efforts in taking a fresh approach to creating something exceptional is very welcome.”
The Saltire Society accolade was jointly received with Edinburgh-based Optimised Environments Limited (OPEN), who has played a leading role in the design of the Countesswells community. OPEN, a multidisciplinary consultancy that specialises in masterplanning; urban design; landscape architecture; architecture and environmental planning, was appointed to the project to develop a Development Framework and Phase 1 Masterplan for the site at Countesswells.
Countesswells is a new community which will comprise 3,000 homes, of which 750 will be affordable, along with the infrastructure required to support the community that will include schools, informal and formal parks, leisure and healthcare facilities, as well as shops and commercial business space.
The development of the community has transformed low-grade agricultural land into a flourishing and biodiverse environment for the benefit of residents and wildlife.
Countesswells’ unique funding model, including an £86m HM Treasury guarantee, has allowed Countesswells Development Ltd. – a wholly owned subsidiary of Stewart Milne Group – to deliver upfront investment in landscaping, public spaces and infrastructure.
A significant portion of the Cults Burn Park has already been developed and opened for residents. Within the first phase of the park, more than 600 trees, 25,000 plants and 34 native species of wildflower have been introduced. Aberdeen’s first community orchard has also opened within the park.
Countesswells also boasts the fastest broadband in the UK, with residents and businesses able to receive speeds of 1Gbps – 35 times faster than the UK average.