Pirnmill Residential Development

Pirnmill is literally named after the Mill which produced Pirns or bobbins n the 18th century and up until the early 20th century Pirnmill was a thriving village popular with holiday makers. Over time the nature of holidaying in Arran and particularly Pirnmill has changed and the village has increasingly become a 'dark village' - where a large proportion of the houses are owned by non residents leaving the village with few lights in the windows in winter. House prices are high and with local incomes being low in comparision, residents could not afford to live in the village.

Isle of Arran homes was established in the year 2000 following a stock transfer of 250 houses from North Ayrshire Council, to pursue and manage the provision of affordable housing on the island. However, the stock transfer, only brought two affordable houses in Pirnmill with 1 subsequently sold under the Right to Buy legislation.

A small development of eight affordable houses, in plan, an open "U" shape facing the sea and connected to the village of Pirnmill. It is an appropriate size, compatable with the rest of the village houses, robustly plain in design and providing much needed accommodation.

Architect: Isle of Arran homes (HA)

Alastair Ferguson, Mid Penrioch Place, Pirnmill

After moving to the island nine years ago for employment I found myself in the seemingly endless rotation of moving from one short term let to another. My final let accommodation was a single room caravan with no running water and considerable damp. Having always been associated with the north end of Arran I was delighted to be allocated one of the new houses in Pirnmill.

From a personal perspective this has had an enormous bearing on my life as I now have secure accommodation that is affordable, economical to run, warm and with one of the most fantastic views on the island. The fact that I did not have to leave the area that I was currently in reduced the stress that I was under as I did not have to leave friends and organisations that I have become closely associated with. The friendly laid back manner that the landlord exhibits has only enhanced my enjoyment of my home with all the questions readily responded to and full encouragement given when asked about enhancing the local area, such as gardens etc.,

The community that the house is situated within has always been a friendly caring place and this has only been enhanced by the development at Mid Penrioch Place. The mix of both old and young as well as families has helped develop a fantastic community spirit not only within the estate but also the wider community of Pirnmill and the north of Arran. I believe the major contributing factor to this has been the allocation of the houses to local people who understand how the community operates and are willing to be involved in it.

Prior to attaining the property my future on Arran was insecure and whilst operating with the local volunteer Fire Unit and Community First Aid Responders I felt I was unable to commit fully to these community organisations as my long term accommodation was not secure. As I now have a secure place to live I have been able to develop my roles within these organisations and have developed into a valuable member of the community.

Until the site was brought to Isle of Arran Homes by one of the local developers it appeared that there was no opportunity for an increase in the affordable housing provision in the village and local services were under threat. however, demand for housing was high with over 250 families on the waiting list.

Arran does not have a common housing style and as such Pirnmill was a blank canvas, however history has taught us what works well with the exposed environment and maximises functionality for the residents. The site presented some challenges of its own mainly as a result of its narrowness. This enabled us to make the most of the amazing views and provided a continuation of the street frontage already present in the village.

The houses are functional in layout with entrances being through porches providing shelter from the elements and a place to take off muddy boots and jackets before entering into the main living spaces. The design of the houses is simple, highly functional and contextual.

However we don't consider the architecture to be the key success for this development. The provision of eight houses in Pirnmill is small compared to mainland development but it is of vital importance to this village and the community within it. The local primary school and the shop/Post Office remain open and are sustainable. Four families were able to remain in the village and another four to return to a place where they had a strong connection and it is this we consider to be the overall success - sustaining and developing vibrant rural communities.