Supported housing project gets underway

West Lothian Council has plans to build Supported Housing for Young People and Affordable Housing, located at Almondvale Crescent, Livingston.

The construction work started this week with the project set to be complete in September 2025

The land was previously vacant and located behind the Tony Macaroni restaurant.

Plans for the supported housing consists of 28 one-bedroom flats in total, with 16 flats designed to be flexible for future use as mainstream housing.  Flexible office space will be provided for a maximum of ten staff members along with staff overnight accommodation to provide dedicated space and privacy, whilst still being on hand to assist and support the young people.

The affordable housing will provide 20 units with a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, along with 2 three-bedroom flats.

West Lothian Council will be one of the few councils in the country to build housing for this scale of project utilising off-site construction methods.  

Hub South East, our Development Partner, is delivering the project on behalf of the council, with Connect Modular appointed as the main construction contractor.

There are many benefits to this modular construction method including; efficiencies in terms of programme, factory controlled processes which allow for more precise and consistent manufacturing, and better quality control than with traditional construction methods. Since much of the construction is completed off site and within a factory, inclement weather plays less of a role in the construction process.

Julie Whitelaw, Head of Housing, Construction and Building Services said:

"This is an important development and demonstrates that although the council has severe financial constraints, we will ensure that the funding we do have is used to tackle local priorities - in this case affordable housing and support for young people experiencing homelessness."

The demand for affordable housing for young people continues to grow. West Lothian has a high rate of youth homelessness in Scotland and has a history of significant numbers of homeless presentations by young people. In 2022/23 the percentage of homeless applications for those aged 16-25 is 25% compared to a national average of 22%.

Executive Councillor for services for the community, George Paul added:

"Tackling homelessness, poverty and inequality is one of the council's key priorities andI am delighted that work has begun. It is vital that we continue to support young people who are experiencing hardship and cannot find alternative accommodation.

"The site we have chosen is close to amenities with the college, hospital, transport and shopping facilities all within walking distance. These are all important factors in choosing a site that is specifically designed to help young people in need."

"The availability of affordable homes is one of the most important issues that affects local people today. Demand vastly outstrips supply however we are continuing to create more affordable homes across West Lothian, but the issues affecting young people require more funding, and quickly.

"The creation of additional housing for young people is urgently required to meet the needs of the young people of West Lothian."

Paul McGirk, Hub South East's Chief Executive, said: "As a true development partner, providing innovative solutions for clients is a key driver for Hub South East and we are delighted to be embracing new opportunities through off-site manufacturing to deliver our first new housing development. It's exciting to reach the construction stage in Livingston where we can start to make these plans a reality, benefiting young people and helping our client deliver on its acute need for more social housing.

"We're proud to be continuing our successful partnership with West Lothian Council, which has delivered a number of high quality, well designed and award winning facilities and we look forward to driving the progress of this development."

Connect Modular CEO, Jennifer Higgins, added:

"It is wonderful to gather today to mark the start of this milestone housing project in the heart of Livingston town centre. Connect Modular is proud to be working in partnership with West Lothian Council and Hub South East to deliver 49 units of high quality new build housing via modular construction. Our modular build process delivers better quality homes faster. Leveraging our controlled factory environment, we ensure every module built is subject to rigorous quality control procedures and with site preparation works and housebuilding occurring simultaneously, the project timeline is significantly condensed, allowing the future residents of Almondvale Crescent to occupy their homes much more quickly than a traditional build would."