Roy Homes places £2 million contract to kick off £20 million Dingwall development, its largest ever commitment
Roy Homes, the Inverness-based niche housebuilder, has signed a £2 million contract with another local business Global Construction to undertake the infrastructure works on their largest ever development at Firthview, above Dingwall. Global will begin on site in January constructing the roads and services for Firthview, off St Andrews Road, which will comprise 81 private homes from three bedroom bungalows to five bedroom executive homes. Chris Barnett, managing director of Roy Homes, said:"We're delighted that, after negotiation, we are able to offer this contract to Global, helping the hard pressed local construction sector by creating or underpinning jobs, and the contract is part of an £8 million investment in the first phase of what will be a £20 million plus development, "We are pressing the button despite the economic climate because we're excited about the potential of this splendid location with uninterrupted views across the Cromarty Firth to the Black Isle, which is why we are making an unprecedented commitment to it. and why we have designed a new range of homes to fit in. We have appointed a site manager and he is now in place. "Unlike volume builders, our business model is that people can choose the shape, style and size of homes to suit their own family and Firthview lends itself to such an approach." Mr Barnett revealed that Roy Homes now have the first seventeen residential plots on sale, with two already reserved, of the first phase of 37 homes. As part of the planning consent, land is also being made available for Albyn Homes to build 20 affordable cottage style apartments on the site and these will be built in 2012. Prospective buyers have four options under the company's unique approach. They can have Roy Homes build the complete home as per planning consent, or personally amend the shape or layout, with Roy Homes completing the build after gaining amended planning permission. In certain plots, they can have Roy Homes supply and erect the timber frame kit then bring in their own contractor or tradesmen to finish the build, and the final option is they can buy a plot carrying full planning consent and use their own contractor for everything. "It is the first development of this scale in the Highlands which carries this full suite of options, putting the homebuyer completely in command to make the choice which best suits their particular circumstances." Roy Homes which employed 20 people three years ago and 50 this time last year, plans to sustain 100 jobs by early 2012-- and its core business of one-off houses, from £65,000 to £1 million, is now running at record levels in the firm's 30 year history. "The demand for one-off builds remains very strong and continues to expand and we are now being asked to build homes in Moray and Aberdeenshire, which has previously been out with our build area", said Mr Barnett. "We're currently building in locations as far afield as Fairways in Inverness, Drumnadrochit, Roshven, Lochailart, Drimnin, Kingussie, Nethy Bridge & Oban in the South, and on locations such as Tore, Contin, Muirton of Clunes, Bunchrew, Dingwall, Delny, Tain and Bonar bridge in the North. Other current sites include Alves, Craigellachie, Gairloch, and Clachtoll. |