Elected members have agreed to place a new housing development at Copland’s Road in Stromness onto the Council’s Capital Programme following a meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee on 17th of February 2026.
The proposed development will deliver 25 new general needs social rented homes, made up of a mix of one and two bedroom properties across two site areas described as North and South.
A proportion of the homes will be designed as accessible properties to support people with mobility or accessibility needs.
The project is intended to provide modern, energy efficient housing that meets current design, space and energy standards while addressing identified local demand in Stromness.
Preparatory procurement work for the main construction phase is already underway.
The appointed contractor is progressing planning and building warrant applications, building on pre application engagement and agreed site layouts.
The opportunity was advertised before Christmas, with tender documentation issued on 30th of January 2026 and a return deadline of 6th of March 2026.
The recommendation from Policy and Resources will now go before a General Meeting of the Council on 10th of March for final consideration.
The Copland’s Road project forms part of Orkney’s wider Strategic Housing Investment Plan covering 2026 to 2027 through to 2030 to 2031.
The plan, recommended for approval in September 2025, sets out a requirement for approximately 103 new homes each year in Orkney over the next decade.
Of those, around 60 homes per year are intended to be affordable housing.
Affordable provision is expected to be delivered through a combination of the Council, Orkney Housing Association Limited, Places for People Scotland, Development Trusts and private sector developers.
The proposed Stromness development represents one of the first projects to move forward under the updated housing programme.
