Falkirk Council: New Torwood homes still not ready for tenants over 16 months after they were due to be completed

Falkirk Council is building 24 new homes on the site of the former Torwood School in the village outside Larbert. With the proposal first lodged for planning permission in 2018, the local authority’s website shows that the plans were for work to begin in August 2020 and be completed by January 2022.

In March The Falkirk Herald revealed that the project was still not completed 14 months after people were due to move in with employees of building contractor Bell Contracts still working on the site which has four blocks of terraced homes set in a courtyard style.

Falkirk Council has given no indication of why there has been such a delay – although last year some builders were experiencing shortages in materials supposedly due to Brexit.

At the time the a council spokesperson said: “It is likely that this new build council housing development will be completed mid-April 2023. The contractor is working through snagging of the properties and the external works to ensure that the project is completed to a high standard.”

However, this week they were forced to admit that the snagging was still not complete, saying: "The contractor is working through snagging of the properties and the external works, to ensure that the project is completed to a high standard. Once these are completed, the properties will be handed over to the housing service.”

Around 18 months ago the local authority revealed the cost of building homes had spiralled to well over £200,000.

In October 2021 a report to Falkirk Council’s executive revealed that the cost of a new-build home per property has significantly increased since 2014, when the average spend was £144,823. But the most recent projects, including the site in Torwood was at that time averaging £209,404 per house – and projected to rise to £236,086.

In the 2023/24 budget councillors approved investment of almost £40 million to carry out a range of improvement to around 11,000 council homes, including re-roofing, kitchen and bathroom upgrades, electrical safety checks and a replacement programme for doors and windows.