Moray Council, Altyre Estate and Grampian Housing Association invite community to Forres Town Hall to comment on Dallas Dhu housing development plans

AROUND 60 people attended a public consultation at Forres Town Hall about a new housing development in the town.

The event shared designs and opportunities at the Dallas Dhu site on Mannachie Road, part of the Moray Growth Deal Housing Mix Delivery project.

A Moray Council spokesman confirmed a maximum of 180 homes are planned with an additional 40 bed spaces for student accommodation.

She said: “We had a great response - a lot of positive conversation, particularly from those interested in the innovation plots keen to get to grips with the timeframes for building. The concept of the designs, choice of materials and colour palette were generally well received.”

The Dallas Dhu project is a partnership between Moray Council, Altyre Estate and Grampian Housing Association, part of a wider attempt to build more affordable and carbon conscious houses in Moray.

The housing designs made from sustainable and natural materials and powered by renewable energy attempt to retain the character and topography of the site with textured render, timber cladding and metal roofs. A mix of housing styles will be included, for a diverse people at various stages in their lives. Shared amenity space with community facilities will offer safe spaces for children to play, while pedestrian-friendly streets and cycle networks also feature. There will also be a community growing area, shared steading courts, a walled garden and amenity space.

The spokeswoman added: “Transport, parking and the local road infrastructure were raised as concerns. These are aspects we’ll take away to consider further. There will be further opportunity for anyone interested to get involved and comment as we progress through the planning process. A further public engagement event will be held in early March setting out how comments from this event have been taken on board within the design.”