A £20billion power network upgrade that has been announced will also deliver a major housing boost for the north of Scotland.
More than 1,000 houses will be built for the workforce delivering the electricity transmission upgrades in the north of Scotland, and once these projects are completed the homes will become available for people in the local communities.
The homes aim to help ease the region’s housing problems, while their construction will bring jobs as well as enormous benefits to the local economy and communities.
Around 400 houses will be built in Aberdeenshire by 2030, with a similar number in the Highlands and other areas in the north of Scotland.
SSEN Transmission is working with councils, housing associations and other organisations to support the delivery of the new homes
It is upgrading the transmission network in the north of Scotland to support energy security and the UK’s net zero ambitions.
The grid upgrade is critical to powering change and meeting Scotland and the UK’s renewable energy targets, accelerating the company’s delivery to meet the 2030 offshore wind connection dates, known as the Pathway to 2030.
As well as new housing, local people will benefit from funding for community projects.
The company has set up a £10million regional fund for community groups. Future community funds worth more than £100million are planned, subject to Government approval.
Applications are now open for grants of up to £5,000 for projects that support health and wellbeing in communities across Aberdeenshire, Angus, Perth and Kinross, and the north east of Clackmannanshire.
Rob McDonald, SSEN Transmission’s managing director, said: “Our £20billion investment in the transmission network is one of the biggest programmes the north of Scotland has seen in decades.
“This is a significant and innovative contribution to addressing the housing challenges in the north of Scotland, and it also demonstrates how we can work in partnership to develop imaginative proposals that will deliver new homes and act as a template for other developers.
“Discussions are ongoing with local authorities, developers and registered social landlords over the location and scale of potential projects, and we expect to make further announcements in the coming months that will also benefit locals.”
Paul McLennan, the Scottish Government’s housing minister, said: “I welcome the innovative approach being taken by SSEN Transmission.
“We will work with the company and other partners to ensure that the right homes are delivered in the right place, to benefit future generations.
“Good quality housing is essential to attract and retain people in our communities. We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent and at least 10% in our rural and island communities.”
Carolyn Lochhead, director of external affairs at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “ We’re looking forward to working alongside SSEN Transmission to provide much-needed homes across the north of Scotland.
“The housing emergency has hit rural Scotland particularly hard and has exacerbated many other existing challenges such as depopulation, labour shortages, and underinvestment in rural communities.
“This investment will be vital for communities across the north of Scotland.”
Christianna Logan, SSEN Transmission’s director of customers and stakeholders, added: “Across the north of Scotland, there are cottages in use within communities that were originally built to house electricity system workers in the 1940s and 50s.
“It is exciting to reintroduce a housing legacy as one of the positive social and economic impacts that upgrading the electricity grid will have in our communities.”