Milestone moment at formerly condemned West Lothian housing estate

Developers have hailed a “milestone moment” after the first brick was laid at a previously condemned housing estate in West Lothian.

Tom Leggeat, Kerry Macintosh and Hannah Bardell MP, pictured at the site in Livingston.

Housebuilder Springfield Properties said it had kick-started the long-awaited regeneration project at Deans South in Livingston, which will see the creation of affordable and private new homes across the 2.9-acre site. All of the properties will be built by Springfield using sustainable timber kits constructed off-site at its nearby timber kit factory and promise to be “extremely efficient”, using air source heat pumps. The homes for social housing will be delivered for tenants of Wheatley Homes East, part of Wheatley Group.

To mark the milestone, the housebuilder was joined by Hannah Bardell, MP for Livingston, and Deans South veteran Kerry Macintosh, who laid the first brick in the foundations of her new home. She bought her three-bed home on the estate in 2002, but, in 2004, West Lothian Council condemned the site and earmarked it for demolition. Despite this, Macintosh remained on the site to fight for a fair deal for herself and the remaining homeowners. Now, two decades later, she will receive a new home as part of the transformation of the site.

Tom Leggeat, Springfield partnerships managing director, said: “Deans South has always had enormous potential and, despite the challenges, our commitment to transforming the site has not wavered. Alongside the much-needed social rented homes we will build, we will also deliver on our promise to provide a ‘home for a home’ for homeowners who have lived in Deans South for decades. This is what we celebrate today, as we lay the first brick for Kerry’s home and mark wider construction work starting.”

Macintosh added: “This is a surreal moment for me. Having lived in Deans South for 20 years, I have seen it fall into disrepair which has been sad and frustrating. However, Springfield provided us with light at the end of the tunnel, pushing forward and providing us with enormous support. A warm, safe and secure home in a thriving community is all I have wanted, and it is so exciting to see it become a reality.”