Scotland' Housing Expo

The Highland Housing Fair will be based on a successful model that is found throughout mainland Europe, particularly Finland. Its purpose is to showcase the very best in housing design and innovation, with sustainability being the key theme throughout.  Other important themes of the Fair will be design, innovation, affordability and energy efficiency.

The Fair is fully supported by a consortium of agencies, including the Scottish Government. It will comprise an exciting and diverse range of more than 50 architecturally-designed homes, which will all be available to purchase or rent. Of these, 40% will be affordable and 60% will be available on the free market.

The architects and developers that will create homes on the site were selected via a competition launched in January 2007. Accredited by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland, the competition invited architects and developers to compete for plots at the site. Subsequent Fairs will be held every two years in other locations in the Highlands.

Commenting on her appointment, Cllr. Urquhart said: “The Steering Group is now ready to move the Highland Housing Fair onto the next phase and I’m delighted to be appointed as Chair at this exciting time.

“The Highland Housing Fair will be a landmark event for Scotland. Nothing like this has ever been done in the UK before and the planning for the event is going really well. I am absolutely committed to helping the Steering Group to achieve the goals of the Fair and make the event the success that it deserves to be.

“The Fair also represents a superb opportunity for businesses that promote sustainable services and products because its ethos is make sustainability a standard element of all housing design in the future. In the 1930’s, it was rare to have an inside wc and now this is a standard feature in a home, and we hope to achieve the same outcome with sustainable features.”

Fiona Porteous, Highland Housing Fair coordinator, added: “It’s great news for the Fair that Cllr. Urquhart has agreed to be the Chair of our Steering Group. She will be an excellent representative for the Fair and has a level of experience and knowledge that will be an absolute asset to the Steering Group. This event will not only be important for Inverness but also for the wider Highlands, as well as the rest of Scotland and the UK, so to have the Vice Convenor of the Highland Council as our Chair is a strong endorsement of what we want to achieve.”

The Highland Housing Fair will be held in Balvonie, on the outskirts of the City of Inverness, in August 2009. For further information, please visit http://www.highlandhousingfair.co.uk

Ends:                                18 December 2007

For media information, please contract Lisa Mennie or Pauline Gregory at IAS SMARTS on 0141 222 2040