Close to 100 new homes for Lewis as SSEN Transmission provides funding for new housing development in Stornoway

Image: Image of housing map for Stornoway Airport Development

• Deputy First Minister helps mark one of the first major agreements under commitment to deliver 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland.

• Affordable housing among a broad range of economic and social benefits proposed Lewis Hub and associated connection projects will deliver.

SSEN Transmission is helping to deliver nearly 100 new homes for the Western Isles as part of its proposed Lewis Hub project, after committing multi-million-pound funding that will unlock a new housing development near Stornoway Airport.

The announcement has been marked by Deputy First Minster Kate Forbes, who visited the Stornoway Airport Housing Development at Branahuie today to meet representatives of the organisations involved, as well as local apprentices working at the site.

In a major boost for affordable housing provision in the Isle of Lewis, up to 94 new homes are planned for the development, after SSEN Transmission stepped in with significant funding for preparatory work that will enable proposals by local firm CalMax Construction to progress. The new homes are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Image: Deputy First Minister with local apprentices working at Stornoway Airport Housing Development site

The homes will initially accommodate workers involved in the construction of SSEN Transmission’s Lewis Hub project but will then be made available to the local community, with the majority to be delivered as affordable housing through a partnership between CalMax Construction and Tighean Innse Gall (TIG).

The remaining properties will be sold on the open market, helping to increase the availability of quality housing stock in Lewis, where new-build homes are currently in short supply.

The site at Branahuie is located adjacent to the airport road and has long been earmarked for housing, but a lack of investment has previously stalled development. The arrival of the proposed Lewis Hub project – a key component of the Western Isles HVDC Link – has now provided the catalyst for progress, as SSEN Transmission seeks to house its workforce responsible for constructing the HVDC converter station and AC substation during the project.

Image: Deputy First Minister with representatives of partner organisations involved in Stornoway Airport Housing Development

The initial funding will unlock the development and allow initial activities to progress, and SSEN Transmission intends to provide further significant, multi-million-pound funding for construction works.

The funding marks one of the first major agreements SSEN Transmission has reached with a housing developer under its housing strategy commitment to support the delivery of 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland as a legacy of its workforce accommodation requirements. It also demonstrates the economic and social benefits the proposed Lewis Hub and associated connection projects will deliver, with the CalMax development creating and sustaining jobs and apprenticeship opportunities, while also delivering much-needed affordable housing. 

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

“Scotland’s enormous renewables capabilities offer an unprecedented opportunity to create jobs and deliver economic growth across our local, regional and national economies for decades to come. It is of course vital to ensure that the supporting infrastructure, including housing, is in place to support the workforces and communities that this opportunity presents.This will take a shared endeavour, with the public and private sectors working together to ensure that the right homes are delivered in the right place at the right time. SSEN Transmission’s commitment to support the creation of 1,000 new homes across the north of Scotland is a welcome example of this working in practice and I look forward to the delivery of the initiative benefitting local communities for generations to come.”

Sandy Mactaggart, Director of Offshore Delivery at SSEN Transmission, said:

“We are committed to delivering a positive legacy through the Lewis Hub project, and that’s why we’re delighted to have played a key role in enabling the Stornoway Airport Housing Development to progress. Not only will the development provide accommodation for our workforce during the project, but it will also deliver warm, affordable homes that will benefit local communities in Lewis for decades to come.This is one of several benefits that will be delivered as part of the Lewis Hub and associated connection projects, and we continue to explore other workforce accommodation options that will leave a positive housing legacy in Lewis – reflecting our ambition to promote local economic and social growth while unlocking the vast renewables potential of the Western Isles.”

Donald Mackay, Director of CalMax Construction Ltd, said:

"We’re delighted to be working alongside SSEN Transmission and Tighean Innse Gall to bring this housing development at Branahuie to life. It’s fantastic to see investment like this coming to Lewis – not only helping to deliver much-needed homes, but also creating and sustaining local jobs, apprenticeships, and opportunities for businesses across the island’s supply chain. We expect to create up to 30 additional jobs as part of this project, including a number of early career and apprenticeship positions – and with up to 100 employees involved in construction at any one time, this will make a real, lasting difference to the local economy while providing a legacy of new affordable homes. At CalMax, we’re passionate about building high-quality, energy-efficient homes that will serve our community for generations to come. We also recognise the importance of working closely with existing and long-established communities, ensuring that any development is sensitive to its surroundings and brings positive benefits with minimal disruption. Thanks to our strong collaboration with SSEN Transmission, we’re now moving into the next planning phase and look forward to progressing work on site – creating lasting benefits for local people well beyond the Lewis Hub project."

Ian McCulloch, chair of Tighean Innse Gall said:

“We are very pleased to be working with SSEN Transmission and CalMax Construction to deliver this major project, that will ultimately increase the volume and availability of affordable housing. TIG are constantly seeking opportunities to increase their property assets and this, Lewis-centred, effort will be the first step in our 10-year affordable housing development plan which has sites throughout the Outer Hebrides.”

Cllr Paul Steele, Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said:

“SSEN Transmission’s provision of Legacy Housing in support of their projects in the Outer Hebrides is hugely welcome. The Comhairle, with its Housing partners Hebridean Housing Partnership and Tighean Innse Gall, has worked closely with SSEN Transmission to ensure real benefits for the local community. Through this arrangement, nearly 100 new homes, largely funded by SSEN Transmission, will be gifted back to the local community, across a range of tenures, once SSEN Transmission projects are complete. The Comhairle and its partners will continue to deliver the regular, Scottish Government funded, Affordable Homes Supply Programme alongside the SSEN Transmission provision ensuring that there will be no detriment to the current Housing supply.”

Image: Image of Stornoway Airport Housing Development site signage

Find out more about SSEN Transmission’s proposed Lewis Hub and Western Isles HVDC Link Project here Western Isles HVDC Link Project - SSEN Transmission