PLANS for more than 70 new homes in the Gorbals are expected to go before Glasgow City Council in the next few months.

 

The proposals, for 48 flats and 25 homes, are part of a £100m renovation of the Laurieston area.

The development was given the go ahead in 2012 and is expected to take at least 10 years to complete.

Around 201 homes were completed last year and residents were handed the keys by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in August.

The scheme, by New Gorbals Housing Association and Urban Union, has been in the pipeline for 20 years.

Work began in October on 69 new homes for sale by Urban Union and 39 for mid-market rent by the housing association. They are due to be completed by March next year.

Now plans have been submitted to the city council asking for an extension to the timescale before plans for a third phase, around Eglinton Street, are lodged this summer.

Politicians gave permission for up to 200 homes for affordable rent and 600 for sale, plus a hotel, shops and community facilities, three years ago.

The developers estimate around 50 homes will be built every year from 2016, with 292 forecast beyond 2020.

The site will include open green areas which will link Laurieston to the centre of Glasgow.

Project manager Janice Belshaw said: "This area has waited a long time for this transformation and it is great to see how quickly things are now moving.

"Our goal is to bring high quality new homes, jobs and facilities to an area that desperately needs them."

Speaking during last August's official opening, Ms Sturgeon said the new housing development was "fantastic."

She said: "Regenerating Scotland's most disadvantaged communities is a key priority for the Scottish Government.

"This new housing development is a major step in the right direction.

"It shows just how effective partnership working can be in regenerating communities."

The Scottish Government is providing £14m towards the development with the remainder coming from Glasgow City Council.

Laurieston is one of eight Transformational Regeneration Area projects in Glasgow. The partnership was established as a strategic partnership to oversee the delivery of a regeneration and development programme across Glasgow's eight identified Transformational Regeneration Areas (TRA). The programme aims to provide new sustainable mixed tenure communities through the provision of new housing, community facilities, green space and where appropriate commercial units.

Each active TRA has its own local delivery group, with resident and community representation. The initiative will deliver a major boost for the city, creating jobs and a wide range of new homes and community facilities.

The other seven TRAs in the programme are Maryhill; Gallowgate; Shawbridge; Sighthill; North Toryglen; East Govan and Ibrox; and Red Road/Barmulloch.

The first phase of the scheme was named Best Social Housing Development in the Premier Guarantee Excellence Awards, which celebrate the achievements of the UK construction industry, last November.