Plans to create 30 affordable homes on the site of a former primary school are gathering pace.
Highland Council has launched a hunt for a design team for the project in Aviemore.
Calls have been made for the affordable homes to be made available for rent, rather than sale, to match the needs of the community.
The council said discussions are said to be still at the very early stages and no planning application for the proposed 30 homes scheme at the site of the former Aviemore Primary School at Milton Park has yet been submitted.
A spokeswoman said: “The council is in the process of procuring a design team to take forward an affordable housing project on the site of the former Aviemore primary.
Early days
“This is at the early stages and the successful design team will be looking at options on the site with the intention of submitting a planning application late autumn 2021.
“More details will be made available as soon as possible but until then we look forward to applicants coming forward.”
Badenoch and Strathspey SNP councillor Muriel Cockburn said she would “on a personal level” wish the homes to be for rent rather than for sale because that is desperately needed in the town.
She said: “I really get a bit concerned when people say ‘oh we really need affordable housing’.
“It’s affordable renting we really need because the affordable housing in the ward does not match the employment and the salaries that are available here. It’s quality affordable renting and anything that the council can do to provide this they must.
“They have got to address it and make sure that we are offering quality accommodation.”
The council is advertising on the Public Contracts Scotland website.
It says: “Erection of 30 new housing units including full site works on the site of the former Aviemore Primary School Milton Park. From initiation to end of defects.”