The Guinness Partnership, one of England’s largest housing associations, held an event to celebrate the topping out of its Trinity Road development in Bristol.  Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership, was joined by senior colleagues from the development team, as well as representatives from Hill’s project team and Avon and Somerset Police, to mark the occasion.  The homes have been built on the old Trinity Road Police Station site with a new police station on the ground floor. Avon and Somerset Police agreed the sale of the site because it no longer met the needs of the local community, police officers and staff. Award-winning housebuilder, The Hill Group, is constructing the homes which, when complete, will provide 104 high-quality one, two and three-bedroom apartments for social rent, to help meet the strong need for affordable housing within the City of Bristol.  This important affordable housing development is being delivered with financial help and partnership working from both Bristol City Council and Homes England. The council has awarded £1.5m of capital funding from its Strategic Community Infrastructure funding budget towards the cost of redelivering a police facility on the site, and a further £1.6m through its Affordable Housing Funding policy to support the delivery of the scheme as social rent.  Kevin Williams, Group Director of Development & Commercial Services at The Guinness Partnership said: “The topping out at Trinity Road is an important step towards the delivery of our 104 new, high-quality social rent homes in Bristol. We are grateful for the significant investment by Bristol City council and Homes England, and we would like to thank our contractor, The Hill Group, and Avon and Somerset Police who have worked with us on the project.”   Bristol East Neighbourhood Chief Insp Serena Serjeant said: “Trinity Road has been the home of our east Bristol police station for decades and we’re excited to return to the original site in 2027 when the development works have concluded.   “Since vacating the site in 2023, we have maintained a visible presence in the area and continue to work with our stakeholders, partners and community leaders to ensure the needs of local residents are met.   “While we await the completion of our new base, we continue to parade out of The Bridewell Police Station, Fishponds Police Station and Kenneth Steel House.    “We look forward to returning home and this topping out ceremony is the first step on the homeward bound journey.”  Allan O’Brien, Regional Director at The Hill Group, comments: “We are pleased to be working with The Guinness Partnership on the Trinity Road project, where we are delivering 104 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social rent in a city facing a critical housing shortage. The inclusion of a new, improved police station will also provide a valuable community asset to support local safety and wellbeing.  “Celebrating the topping out ceremony alongside our partners was a proud moment and an important milestone in the delivery of this transformative development for Bristol.”  Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Caledonia Housing Association, one of Scotland’s largest registered social landlords, is pressing ahead with a major programme of housing investment that will deliver over 180 new, affordable, mixed-tenure homes across the country over the next 18 months. The programme will boost Scotland’s supply of high-quality, energy-efficient homes and directly support the objectives of the Housing Emergency Action Plan, which highlights the urgent need for safe, warm and affordable housing as a key step in tackling child poverty. Projects currently under construction include a £4.9 million development in Whitehill Court, Kirkintilloch, to deliver 22 high-quality, affordable homes. The homes are being built by SIM Building Group and are due for completion in February 2026. A further 22 new homes are being delivered in Kerrow Drive, Kingussie, Inverness-shire. The £5.3 million project is the first in the area by Caledonia and is being built by Davall Developments. It is due for completion in Autumn 2026. This will be followed by a £6.5 million project in Easterfield, Inverness. Developed by Springfield Homes, the 28 new affordable homes include a shared equity option and will be completed in December 2026. In Stanley, near Perth, Caledonia is working with Ogilvie Construction to deliver 22 mixed tenure homes. The £4.9 million project will include five shared equity homes. In West Dunbartonshire, work has already begun on the transformational regeneration of Bellsmyre, a long-term project that will replace outdated flats with modern, energy-efficient homes designed around the needs of the community. Caledonia will deliver 138 new energy-efficient high quality social rented homes in partnership with CCG (Scotland) Ltd and West Dunbartonshire Council over the next five years. The first phase of the project will deliver 27 new homes this year.  In Dundee, the near-completion of the 67-home Ballindean development is set to provide safe, warm and affordable homes for local families. Together, these projects underline Caledonia’s determination to deliver sustainable communities across Scotland. The on-site projects, which will provide warm, energy-efficient homes for over 400 people, have a combined investment of £21.7 million of Scottish Government grant funding. Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan, recently visited Bellsmyre in West Dunbartonshire to tour the first new energy-efficient homes being delivered as part of a major regeneration programme which will significantly reduce fuel costs helping to build a greener, more connected community. Julie Watson, who was recently appointed as Head of Investment and Sustainability, a new role created in 2024 to further the organisation’s delivery of new build, regeneration plans and investment strategies, said: “This programme represents a step change in the scale and pace of our development activity. By working closely with our design and construction partners, local authorities and the Scottish Government, we are creating sustainable communities and delivering the high-quality, energy-efficient homes that people need. “Building on the current programme, Caledonia is progressing with additional development plans in Brechin, Dundee and Forfar, as well as future phases of the Bellsmyre Regeneration. These projects will further strengthen Caledonia’s capacity to deliver impactful housing solutions within the communities in which it operates. We remain committed to seeking out new opportunities to bring more high-quality, affordable homes to life across Scotland.” Anne Culley, Board member at Caledonia Housing Association, said: “Delivering high-quality, affordable homes is central to Caledonia Housing Association’s mission. “The scale of our current investment programme shows our determination to respond to the housing crisis while ensuring every development is designed to meet the needs of its community. “As a Board, we are proud to support this ambitious programme and the positive difference it will make for families across Scotland.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals