A PROJECT aiming to demolish vacant flats and turn them into affordable social housing has taken another step forward.

Two blocks of flats on Engelen Drive, which have lain empty since 2019, are to be demolished to make way for 10 affordable homes in the southern area of the town.

Following demolition, Kingdom Housing Association will be taking the works forward to create a high-quality residential development for social rent by individuals or families with varying needs.

Plans were approved by Clackmannanshire Council in April, which will see two- and three-bedroom homes constructed while also placing a focus on sustainability.

Now, Kingdom’s plans for demolition have moved forward after the council’s planning team signed off on a building warrant for the project.

READ MORE: Plans approved to demolish Engelen Drive flats

This gives Kingdom the legal right to carry on with tearing down the old flats, with blocks 12-26 and 28-38 up for demolition.

No confirmed date has been set for the project to begin, however, with the housing provider still in talks with Clacks Council on securing the land.

A spokesperson for Kingdom Housing Association said: “At the moment, there isn’t a confirmed start date for the demolition.

“We’re currently working through the process of transferring the land from Clackmannanshire Council to Kingdom Housing Association, and we still need to go out to tender for the demolition works.”

The project brief calls for a “distinctive environment for residents, including attractive areas of both public and private landscaping to create a safe and usable development.”

Kingdom intend to build two-storey, pitched roof houses with private rear gardens, with units grouped together to provide a mixture of semi-detached homes and terraces.

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A shared central area will be created, incorporating parking to the front of the properties and private rear gardens.

All houses will be provided with level access from pavement to front door and to rear doors as well while meeting Housing for Varying Needs standards internally.

The spokesperson continued: “Following the demolition, we plan to build 10 social rented homes, offering a mix of two and three-bedroom options.

“We aim to keep running costs as low as possible for customers while provided much-needed affordable housing to the area.”

The development will also seek to be sustainable with a ‘fabric first’ approach taken to energy reduction.

This includes “enhanced levels of insulation to walls, floors and roofs along with increased air-tightness and triple-glazed windows.