PENSIONER Cecil Grant was welcomed into his new home recently, marking the completion of the second phase of development to regenerate Inverkeithing's Fraser Avenue.

Mr Grant moved into the street originally when he was just four!

Now, 66 years on, he was the last tenant from Fraser Avenue to move into his new-build home.

The second phase of the project by Kingdom Housing Association to revamp the area – once ranked in the top 15 per cent of the most deprived areas in Scotland – delivered 61 homes at a cost of £9.6 million.

The £7.9m first phase saw the construction of 53 energy-efficient affordable homes for social rent.

Julie Watson, head of capital investment at Kingdom, said the transformation of the street from phase one demolition in March 2017 to the handover of the homes in phase two had been incredible.

"Fraser Avenue shows what can be achieved with community involvement and the project has reinforced the need to work collaboratively to achieve mutual goals, share good practice and help recreate a sense of community," she added.

"As part of the handover of properties in phase two, we were delighted to welcome Cecil Grant into his new home. Cecil was a founding member of the Fraser Avenue regeneration project who moved into the street when he was four-years-old."

Fife Council took the decision to demolish the original three-storey common access flats – which were built in 1956 – and transferred the land to Kingdom Housing Association, who they selected as the developing partner for the project to build, own and manage the new housing.

Kingdom subsequently appointed Campion Homes as their design-and-build partner.

Kingdom Group chief executive Bill Banks said the Fraser Avenue regeneration was a "great example" of how development could transform an area.

"The project has helped remove barriers to build a strong sense of place, meet local needs and deliver high sustainability and enhanced environmental standards," he added.

"This project would not have been possible without the support of Fife Council, the Scottish Government and other stakeholders, including the main contractor, Campion Homes, the architect, 7N, and the other designers who have made a significant contribution to the regeneration process.

"Most importantly, it's important to acknowledge the local people, the project has recognised community participation and engagement at all stages and this has provided community direction and engagement.

"We have just commenced the phase three design works and aim to start on site early next year, subject to securing all statutory consents.”