Social Bite homeless village in Rutherglen given green light amid housing emergency

Plans for a homeless village in South Lanarkshire have been given the green light amid a nationwide housing emergency.

Homelessness charity Social Bite submitted plans to build 16 sustainable modular homes, known as Nest Houses, and a community hub at the site of the former Westfield Saw Mills on Harriet Street in Rutherglen.

The hub will house a large community lounge and kitchen area, facilitating a range of activities including therapeutic group work alongside all essential utilities.

Each home will offer “high quality” accommodation and includes a lounge, fully equipped kitchen, bedroom, and shower room.

The project will be managed by a specialist housing support provider, offering an “innovative” approach to meeting accommodation and support needs, supporting homemaking skills within a highly supportive environment ahead of move onto fully independent living.

At the end of resident’s time at the village, the charity said they will be supported in transitioning to permanent accommodation and employment.

The village is due to begin construction in early 2025 with plans for completion by the summer.

The homes for theprojectt, delivered in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council, will be manufactured Scottish PropTech company Ecosystems Technologies.

The new project comes after Social Bite’s success with similar projects including its Edinburgh Village which helped over 100 residents the charity said went on to secure employment and move into their own permanent homes.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said it was “brilliant” to see the project move forward with approval from the council.

“It was revealed today that Scottish homelessness is at its highest in ten years and we are proud to be part of the solution which is not just needed but completely essential,” he said.

Mr Littlejohn added that the service provided by the charity will help “break the cycle” of homelessness.

“By creating high-quality, self-contained living spaces with integrated support services, we are providing a vital resource to help people on their journey from homelessness to independent living and breaking the cycle of homelessness,” he said.

“We have seen first-hand from our Edinburgh Village the huge impact these make on those living in them, 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 the Housing and Technical Resources Committee, councillor Davie McLachlan, said he was “delighted” that the project has been approved.

“Social Bite have 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 the Planning Committee as well as the Housing and Technical Resources Committee.”