Meiklefield Estate

Meikelfieldis a significant housing estate in the centre of Dingwall, Ross-shire, originally built in the 1950s and overdue for upgrading or redevelopment. We were appointed to (a) generate an 8 phase masterplan for the sequential renewal of local authority housing stock and (b) design, consent and procure phase 1 comprising 14 new houses and flats.

The renewal concept is innovative, allowing for sequential decant of tenants and re-occupation in the newly completed phases. Careful and extensive tenant and community consultation was and will be undertaken to maximise involvement and contribution to the process through regular newsletters and an onsite tenant drop-in facility.

The developmental and planning process also involved a series of meetings with users, housing management and Highland Council roads and landscape services to ensure early ‘buy in’ of a design and landscape / placemaking approach which would create defined housing groups, a higher than normal quality of landscaping, new tree planting and a step towards a carbon neutral / net zero aspiration for social housing.

Phase 1 was completed and handed over ahead of programme and slightly below budget in December 2022 and the wider Meiklefield estate will be renewed over 7 subsequent sequential phases.