Tenants Settling Into New Brandon Street Homes in North Lanarkshire

Tenants are now settling into their highly energy-efficient new homes in the heart of the Motherwell community.

A previously derelict site on Brandon Street in Motherwell’s town centre has been transformed with the creation of 42 new-build flats, while a further 6 units are contained within a respectfully converted, B-Listed YMCA building on Brandon Street.

The project forms part of North Lanarkshire Council’s new housing supply programme and was delivered by CCG (Scotland) and designed by Coltart Earley Architecture.

Marking the completion was Housing Convener, Councillor Michael McPake, who was joined by new tenant, Mrs May Nicol, and her daughter Lesley.

She said: “I am thoroughly enjoying my new home and love how friendly the neighbours are. I moved from an upstairs cottage flat in Motherwell to a ground-level, wheelchair-accessible flat, which is perfect and helps with my mobility.”

Councillor Michael McPake, added: “Our high-quality affordable homes are transforming local communities and town centres. Our Brandon Street development is in an ideal location for transport links and amenities and has dramatically changed the local streetscape. One of the key features of this development is the use of renewable technology, which doesn’t present additional carbon into the environment and maximises energy efficiency. Examples of this include a ground source heat pump system, which controls heating and stores hot water, making our tenants’ homes more comfortable.

“We’re making significant progress in delivering on our new build programme, providing jobs, boosting the local economy and delivering homes for our tenants now and for generations to come. It’s all part of our ambition to make North Lanarkshire the place to live.”

At the project’s outset, it was determined that Brandon Street would adopt a zero-emissions heating strategy, the second such development to be delivered by CCG on behalf of the Council in as many years following the successful delivery of 19 ‘pilot’ net zero homes at Dykehead Road in Airdrie.

Constructed to the CCG Net Zero Home build standard, Dykehead Road’s ‘net zero ready’ homes utilised an enhanced building fabric and air source heat pumps to address operational net zero carbon.

The same enhanced fabric has been used for the new build homes at Brandon Street (with tailored EWI and IWI measures for the YMCA Building), but instead of air source heating technologies, the development is supported by an innovative Kensa ground source heat pump system for space heating and hot water.

The heating system is connected to a network of 28, 150m deep boreholes throughout the site, which circulates glycol to create ambient heating.

Each home is provided with a heat pump (3 or 6 Kw), to draw energy from the heating network, and a hot water storage tank.

The ongoing analysis of heating technologies will help to inform North Lanarkshire Council’s future housing programmes as the local authority undertakes its transition to net zero by 2045.

CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said: “CCG began working with North Lanarkshire Council in 2019. Since then, our partnership has contributed to the transformation of communities across the region with the delivery of hundreds of new homes, as well as helping the Council transition into a new, ‘net zero ready’ housing era – first at Dykehead Road in Airdrie and now here at Brandon Street in Motherwell.

“With the conversion of the YMCA building, the project has a unique character, however, it shares common traits of those before it, with its delivery only made possible through a shared commitment to collaboration, and a willingness to adopt advanced building methods and emerging renewable technologies.

“Ultimately, this has ensured local housing needs continue to be met, and we look forward to building on this momentum with North Lanarkshire Council in the months ahead through various new developments.”