Regeneration work is underway on Tree Top Village in Walker, the East End of Newcastle, which will create a brand new community that will help economic growth and boost the trades.

The development is part of Newcastle City Council’s Older People’s Housing Delivery Plan to provide a range of affordable housing options for older people.

This £13 million project is being funded by the council with a £2.3 million contribution from the Homes and Communities Agency.

The project is being delivered by Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) who is working with national developer, Wates Living Space Homes.

Resident involvement has been at the heart of the project and YHN has carried out consultation with local residents as well as local school children who took part in a competition to name the development.

The development is being delivered in two phases. The main building will create a total of 75 new homes and will have warden support available for residents.

There will be 45 two bedroom and 30 one bedroom apartments built around a central courtyard, where a range of services will be provided that will be open to everyone.

Features being considered include a restaurant, IT facilities and a hair salon, and will encourage residents and the wider community to come together and socialise in a friendly, relaxed environment.

David Langhorne, Director of Property Services at YHN said “This is the largest new build scheme we’ve embarked on in a number of years and it’s really exciting to be involved.

“We are extremely pleased with the standard of accommodation being provided and are now working with potential partners to secure a range of local amenities and create a real community feel.

“This is a unique opportunity to build on previous regeneration in the Walker area, and build modern, high quality homes for the city’s older residents”.

Employment levels in Scotland have reached a record high in 2015, new figures revealed.

The figures follow a report from Ernst & Young which shows that Scotland secured a record number of investment projects in 2015, making Scotland the most successful UK region outside of London for overseas investment.

Cabinet Secretary for the Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown welcomed the statistics, but emphasised there was “much work to do” to create and protect jobs in light of challenging economic conditions.

From January to December 2015, employment rates for women also increased to the highest level since comparable records began and the gender employment gap also fell to its lowest level.

Youth employment rates increased, although the number of 16 to 19 year olds who were NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) in 2015 increased slightly over the year.

Mr Brown said: “In Scotland, the gender employment gap is now at its lowest ever level and below that of the UK, but we know it remains a persistent problem and I will take forward work to ensure that we can end the gender pay and employment gaps as soon as possible.

“The Scottish economy has a number of fundamental strengths that will be crucial for the future. Increased inward investment, combined with a resilient labour market and talented workforce, is positive news for our jobs market and our economy as whole.”

Two multi-million pound deals that will see over 1,000 new homes built in the capital specifically for private rent have been welcomed by Housing Minister Brandon Lewis.

The 2 schemes are the latest deals under the government’s innovative Build to Rent scheme and are being supported with more than £150 million of funding.

The 1046 new homes to rent support a package of government measures to deliver 1 million new homes to boost housing supply and help local economic growth.

The schemes help provide more choice for Londoners, and are located close to underground stations. Each site will include a mix of 1, 2 or 3 bedroom homes.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said: “As a global city filled with opportunity and links to the rest of the world, there is a real demand for good quality homes available to rent on flexible terms in the Capital.

“These 2 new deals will provide a big boost to housing and help meet the needs of tenants well into the future.”

The Build to Rent fund is designed to accelerate housing provision and to help developers produce large scale, quality homes, specifically for the private rented sector.

To date over 5,800 homes have been contracted through Build to Rent with investment totaling £661 million, supporting the delivery of rented homes for tenants.

HCA-I Head of Transactions Gareth Blacker said: “This is good example of how the Homes and Community Agency is able to support major cities to create successful places for people to work and live.

“This investment in the capital helps to meet local priorities for housing and growth, supports a wide range of construction professions working on the scheme, and gives greater choice to people who want to rent a high quality home in London.”