SSEN Transmission has committed more than £17m to fund the construction of 50 new homes with Hebridean Housing Partnership (HHP).
In all, 73 homes will be built in the first phase of HHP’s Melbost West social housing development in Lewis, at the site next to MacKenzie Park east of Stornoway.
This means that 23 of the homes will be immediately available for people in the local community upon completion in 2029, with the rest adding to the permanent stock of social housing in the area once SSEN Transmission’s Lewis Hub and associated projects are built.
During construction, the 50 homes will accommodate workers delivering this new infrastructure. The properties will be a mix of one and two-storey semi-detached homes.
The Lewis Hub – which received planning consent from Comhairle nan Eilean Siar last November – is a major clean energy project that will connect the Western Isles to the GB electricity transmission network for the first time, delivering substantial economic benefits to local communities, and making a significant contribution to national energy security and clean power targets.
Today’s announcement is part of the delivery of SSEN Transmission’s Housing Strategy – an industry first published in autumn 2024 – and is the latest in a series of initiatives to support the delivery of 1,000 homes across the north of Scotland transmission area via the business’s accommodation requirements. In Lewis, these include:
- Supporting up to 94 new affordable homes at the Stornoway Airport Housing Development at Branahuie, enabling proposals by the local firm CalMax Construction, in a partnership with Tighean Innse Gall (TIG), to progress. SSEN Transmission has provided initial works funding for this project, and is in discussions with TIG and CalMax about potentially funding construction.
- The refurbishment of Stornoway’s Caledonian Hotel, which is set to be brought back into use for the first time in more than a decade, thanks to the Lewis Hub project.
- The business has so far also made other housing announcements for communities in the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, and Angus.
Dena Macleod, Chief Executive of Hebridean Housing Partnership, said, “When SSEN Transmission first approached us with this project we were more than happy to work in partnership with them to deliver new housing because of the lasting benefit to island communities.
“The delivery of the major infrastructure projects brings short term benefits to affected communities but this time the benefit will remain for years after the project is completed. When SSEN Transmission no longer need the houses at Melbost West these homes will be made available for key workers, providing affordable rent or low-cost home ownership which should contribute positively to the work being done to boost our working population.
“By working together, we are ensuring that essential energy infrastructure leaves a lasting ‘bricks and mortar’ legacy for the islands – strengthening communities, supporting economic activity, and helping more people to access a secure, affordable home close to work, family and services.”
Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery at SSEN Transmission, said, “Today’s announcement shows how upgrading the grid is about even more than achieving the country’s energy security and clean power needs – it’s also about a permanent housing legacy for local communities, as well as a range of other gains such as community benefit funding.
“And when it comes to this project, it’s already starting – there will be new social housing for people as soon as the homes are built, as well as the 50 that will become available once SSEN Transmission’s local projects are completed.
“Our work in the Western Isles and elsewhere is focused on finding mutually beneficial solutions that work for local communities, as well as for the construction of critical national infrastructure. In practical terms, that means providing lasting legacies, including the protection of local tourism by seeking to add capacity to accommodate our workforce – for example, funding new homes and bringing Stornoway’s Caledonian Hotel back into use.
“A lack of housing for local people is a big issue in many of the communities we serve, and our housing strategy demonstrates how we are working in partnership with HHP and others to develop imaginative proposals that will deliver new homes and can act as a template for other developers.”
Find out more about the project here.