South Lanarkshire Village gets the green light

We’re thrilled that South Lanarkshire Council has granted planning permission for the Rutherglen village, with unanimous backing of both the Planning Committee and the Housing & Technical Resources Committee. Delivered in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council, the new village will be on the site of the former Westfield Saw Mills on Harriet Street in Rutherglen.

Similar to the Social Bite Village in Edinburgh, the South Lanarkshire site will consist of sustainable modular homes, known as Nest Houses, made by innovative Scottish manufacturers Ecosystems Technologies. In addition to the 16 houses, including one for staff, the site will have a community hub, which will host a large lounge and kitchen area where a range of activities happen each day.

Each individual home will offer comfortable, welcoming accommodation including a sitting room, fully equipped kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. Homes will also benefit from individual landscaped areas and communal gardens for residents to enjoy, improving the overall appearance of the wider area.

The project will be managed by registered housing support staff alongside a specialist local housing support provider. They will offer an innovative approach to meeting accommodation and support needs, facilitating homemaking skills that enable residents to move onto fully independent living. At the end of their time at the village, residents are supported in transitioning to permanent accommodation and employment.

This model has a proven track record of success at our Edinburgh Village which has helped over 100 residents, many of whom have gone on to secure employment and move into their own permanent homes.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “it’s brilliant to see this project move forward with the approval of planning permission from South Lanarkshire Council’s planning committee. At Social Bite, we believe that everyone deserves a safe and supportive place to call home, and this new development in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council represents an important step toward achieving that vision.

“It was revealed this week that Scottish homelessness is at its highest in 10 years and we are proud to be part of the solution which is not just needed but completely essential. The design of Social Bite Villages provides an essential resource to help people on their journey from homelessness to breaking the cycle of homelessness. We have seen first-hand from our Edinburgh Village the huge impact this approach has on residents, and we’re excited to build on this success and help make lasting change in the fight to end homelessness in Scotland.

“A massive thank you to all our partners and supporters for their help in making this happen.”

Chair of South Lanarkshire council’s Housing and Technical Resources Committee, Councillor Davie McLachlan, said: “I’m delighted that this has been agreed today as it will help the delivery of the council’s homelessness strategy.

“Social Bite has a proven track record of delivering similar projects and we look forward to working in partnership with them. The site has been designed to ensure that it will integrate with its wider surroundings, is sustainable and can provide a range of services.

“It was great to see that the project received the unanimous backing of both the Planning Committee as well as the Housing and Technical Resources Committee.”

The South Lanarkshire Village is due to begin construction in early 2025 with plans for completion by summer that year, when the first residents will move in.