Housebuilder to support 1,000 jobs with new homes projects in major Scottish city
Cala Homes has embarked on a major building programme that should support more than 1,000 jobs across the North-east of Scotland and help address Aberdeen’s housing emergency.
The housebuilder said it had broken ground on a multi-million-pound investment across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire after completing the purchase of four key sites. The work on the four developments will deliver “much-needed” homes, Cala added, and could support some 1,000 jobs across the region, including 600 direct construction roles.
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Hide AdThe group, which was acquired by Patron Capital and Sixth Street Partners last year, is also said to be “actively seeking” both short-term and strategic land opportunities to invest further in the area. Cala has already started work on more than 300 homes across sites at Oldfold Village in Milltimber, Upper Lochton in Banchory, and Grandhome and Silverburn in Bridge of Don.


Ross Maclennan, land director at Cala Homes (North), said: “Purchasing and commencing work on four sites across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire in quick succession is a positive step towards bringing new homes to the region and continuing Cala’s presence in some of the most sought-after areas.
“This significant investment, across the four projects, shows our commitment to Cala North, where demand for high-quality housing remains strong. By focusing on creating vibrant, well-connected communities, we aim to enhance the lives of our future homeowners and support the wider economy.”
The homes builder has also secured planning permission for a further development at Conglass in Inverurie, providing almost 100 properties, which will support more jobs and investment when work begins later in the year. Industry body Homes for Scotland estimates that every new home supports 3.5 jobs in the Scottish economy, including two direct construction jobs, plus a further 1.5 indirect and induced roles in the wider supply chain.
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Hide AdMaclennan added: “Our land and planning team is actively seeking to invest in more sites located in desirable locations, and we have the expertise to unlock potential across the full range of planning and development opportunities.


“It is well documented that there is an undersupply of homes in Scotland, and Aberdeen has recently declared a housing emergency. Private sector investment from housebuilders like Cala is fundamental to addressing these challenges. Every home we build leverages money for social and affordable housing, as well as helping to meet demand for homes at multiple levels of the local market.”
Last September, Cala insisted it was in a strong position to help meet the UK’s demand for new homes after agreeing a sale worth almost £1.4 billion. The group started out as the City of Aberdeen Land Association in 1875 and was the first Scottish company listed on the London Stock Market. It focuses on the premium end of the market, building homes in Scotland, the south of England and the Cotswolds.
The group employs more than 1,300 people across ten offices and has around 75 live developments at any time. In 2023, Cala Group sold 2,917 homes, resulting in a turnover of some £1.3bn.
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Hide AdInsurance and asset management giant Legal & General (L&G) agreed to sell Cala back to its former owner in a deal with an enterprise value of £1.35bn. Investment firms Sixth Street Partners and Patron Capital formed a joint venture to buy the firm, which is among the UK’s ten largest housebuilders. Patron Capital formerly part-owned Cala, holding a 46.5 per cent stake in the company alongside L&G. However, it offloaded its stake to L&G in 2018.
Meanwhile, fellow housebuilder Avant Homes Scotland has acquired an 11.1-acre site at the Blindwells development in East Lothian, as it looks to deliver a £47.8 million scheme providing 174 new homes.
Called Althamer View and located off Greendykes Way, the latest development will comprise a mix of two, three, four and five-bedroom family homes. It will feature 16 of Avant Homes’ house types and, of the 174 homes, 52 have been designated as “affordable” housing. The firm said prices for the individual properties will be released in due course.
The firm has acquired the site from developer Hargreaves Land for an undisclosed sum. Work is scheduled to start in the coming weeks with the first homes anticipated to go on sale at the beginning of March.
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Hide AdAlthamer View will form part of the wider Blindwells masterplan, which Hargreaves Land secured outline planning consent for 1,600 homes for in 2017. That blueprint, which involves several housebuilders, also includes new schooling facilities, a healthcare hub, retail outlets and a range of other services to help establish a “thriving new community”.
Avant Homes Scotland managing director Jim Wilkinson said: “As a business, we are committed to providing quality new homes for everyone in locations where people want to live. Our Althamer View development is testament to this.
“Blindwells is an excellent placemaking masterplan and our development will further contribute to establishing and growing this new vibrant community in East Lothian. We now look forward to delivering our range of practically designed, energy efficient homes at Althamer View.”
Edinburgh-based Avant Homes Scotland currently has 11 live developments.
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Hide AdBruce Lindsay, development director at Hargreaves Land, added: “We are thrilled to kick off 2025 with the news of our latest land sale which will see the development of more high-quality new homes at Blindwells.”
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