Published 20 January 2025
A mum-of-four has spoken of her joy at being one of the first tenants to move into the West Dunbartonshire Council development at Clydebank East.
Natalie Traynor, mum to three boys and a girl aged between 2 and 12, moved into the five-bedroom home just before Christmas having previously stayed in a three-bedroom property in Duntocher.
Her eldest daughter, Alicia, aged 12, uses a wheelchair and has complex care needs which require specialist equipment in the home.
Natalie says the brand-new property provides her with the storage space she requires and is a haven for her and her family.
She said: “This is making a big difference to the children’s requirements. It is like night and day compared to the space we had before.
“I feel overwhelmed by the fact that we have this home.
“Alicia has five different brain conditions, heart disease, lung disease, a colostomy bag, she is on a ventilator when she sleeps. There is a lot of medical equipment. Having space to store that is going to make a big difference to us.”
As well as the benefits of the interior of the property, the private garden and communal children’s play areas on the site, one of which is right outside Natalie’s front door, are welcome.
Natalie added: “I just feel like I can breathe. The garden is great, it’s very private and Alicia will be able to get full access. The back garden in my previous house had steps at the back on a hill so she wasn’t able to get outside. Here, I can be cooking in the kitchen, and I can let her sit out the back with the door open.
“There are so many parks and we can see one of them from the front door. The boys will have more of a life and there are more children about too.
“It’s so much better all round, for all of the kids.
“I want to thank West Dunbartonshire Council for the opportunity to change Alicia’s future. She’s going to be able to relax. I keep on crying with happiness. It’s like a dream come true. It’s just ideal for the children.”
The development of the Clydebank East site is a major housing-led development within a key priority regeneration area identified in the Local Housing Strategy, and is the first fully “net zero ready” housing development in West Dunbartonshire thanks to the use of super insulation, triple-glazing and zero-emissions heating systems.
Work began at the 88-home development in January 2023 with the first tenants welcomed in autumn 2024, representing the 500th new build the Council has developed under the current More Homes programme.
There is a mixture of flats, bungalows and homes including nine fully wheelchair accessible properties. The four and five bedroom homes have ground floor double bedrooms.
The development has been funded by a £12.6million Scottish Government grant award and West Dunbartonshire Council.
The Council’s Housing Convener Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal joined staff from the Council’s Housing section including housing officers who have been key in allocating properties to tenants and representatives from CCG (Scotland) at the development recently.
Councillor Johal said: “It was a pleasure to meet with Natalie and Alicia to find out how much of a difference this home is making to them.
“It is clear in speaking to Natalie how much her family are already benefitting from the new home, and I am delighted to see how well these homes are meeting the needs of our tenants. I wish them every happiness in the future.”
Vice Convener of Housing and Communities, Councillor Hazel Sorrell, said: “The Council is changing lives by developing these new, modern homes and addressing complex needs. I am delighted that the first tenants have moved into this major development and are settling in well.”
CCG (Scotland) is the main contractor for this development. It has been constructed using the firm’s ‘Net Zero Home’ build standard which combines a super insulated fabric, triple-glazing and zero-emissions heating systems to achieve operational net zero carbon.
As part of the social benefits aspect included in all West Dunbartonshire Council contracts, CCG has committed to paying all staff the real living wage and endeavour to use local companies for sub-contracting opportunities where possible. In addition, they have created one full-time job and two trade apprenticeships, as well as providing 17 work placements, and participating in various career events at local schools.