Town lands £1.3m for its bid to stop young people leaving

Plans to make it more affordable for young people to stay in a small south of Scotland town have secured more than £1.3m in support.

A disused garage site in Gatehouse of Fleet will be converted into seven two-bedroom homes for rent.

The Gatehouse Development Initiative (GDI) project has received more than £1m from the Scottish government's Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and £300,000 from Dumfries and Galloway Council's (DGC's) Town Centre Living Fund.

It will enable preparation work to be carried out at the old Woodside Garage and the contractor tender process to take place.

Like many other places across the south of Scotland - and further afield - young people struggle to get on the property ladder.

The new homes would be designed to meet the needs of people - including young adults and key workers - with a "strong connection" to the town.

The latest investment builds on the successful community buyout of the site and earlier support from the Scottish Land Fund.

It has been described as a "pivotal milestone" for the project.

GDI continues to work in partnership with DGC, South of Scotland Community Housing and South of Scotland Enterprise to deliver its plans.

Dougie Campbell, who is one of the ward councillors for the area, said it was a "hugely positive step forward" for the town.

"Securing this level of investment means the community can now move from planning into delivery, transforming a long-derelict site into much-needed affordable homes," he said.

"Projects like Woodside are vital to sustaining rural communities and ensuring that local people can continue to live and work in the town."

Francois van der Zee, who chairs the GDI, said it was a "transformational moment".

"Securing over £1.3m in funding allows us to undertake the essential preparation work needed to bring this site forward for development," he said.

"We are now firmly on the path to delivering much-needed affordable homes for our community."