Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village FAQ

The village project launched in October 2023. Since then, Social Bite has been consulting extensively with organisations and stakeholders in Dundee. This included meeting with recovery and mental health organisations, councillors and MSPs, and groups with lived experience, to gather insight and feedback on the proposed operating model. As of spring 2025, Social Bite is beginning community consultation.

Social Bite is engaging with key stakeholders in local government and third sector organisations, as well as the local community, as part of preparing a planning application to submit in the summer. We will also tender for a service provider at the village.

Once we’ve submitted our planning application Dundee City Council planning committee will need to approve the village project as part of statutory planning processes before any building work can begin.

Social Bite has been working with Dundee City Council to identify land for the Residential Recovery Village within Dundee’s Development Plan. The proposed location in the DD4 postcode, just off Hebrides Drive, is a good fit as it offers a serene location that’s also well connected.

For the local community, the village will bring a disused former bowling green back to life. By supporting people through a recovery journey and on to independent living, we hope that the village will be an asset to the area.

Social Bite takes an innovative approach to building villages, with 95% of the build done offsite in a factory. The community hub and houses will be manufactured and transported to site, where they will be reassembled and installed. This means that whilst the village may take six months to build, work will only take place on site for approximately three months, minimising disruption for local residents.

This is one of the most sustainable ways to create the village with minimal environmental impact.

The initial lease for the village will be 10 years. We hope that the Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village will become a valued facility that serves the community for as long as it’s needed. The design of village doesn’t require permanent changes to the landscape, such as foundations, which means it’s possible to relocate the buildings if required.

We currently hope that the first residents will move into the village in spring 2026.

The Recovery Village will be a safe, therapeutic community accommodating up to 20 mixed-gender residents over the age of 18. As well as the village residents, a team of experience staff will be onsite each day, including a minimum of two support workers or residential volunteers on site 24/7.

The Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village is not about treatment, which means that residents should be stable in their recovery journeys. Most residents will be stable in their recovery journeys prior to joining the village, having recently completed residential rehabilitation or nearing the end of medical treatment. Residents will be expected to uphold the principles of a therapeutic community and provide peer support, helping each other as they move through the programme and their recovery journeys.

Police Scotland’s Building Crime Prevention Team has also committed to mitigating risks and ensuring that the environment remains safe for all.

Social Bite will commission a local charity to provide a highly skilled and experienced team at the village. We will tender for an onsite support delivery partner who has expertise in delivering the therapeutic, community and psychosocial element of the service. Social Bite will provide site management.

The village will be full of life and positive energy, with the main Hub building serving as a central gathering space where residents will have the opportunity to work with others and experience something new. Activities will include:

• Cooking and eating together
• Participating in group meetings
• Hosting visitors and professionals
• Engaging in sports, music, and social activities
• Transitioning to work, college, or volunteering

Each resident will also have a dedicated key worker to help design and review their individual recovery plan, which may include activities proven to increase success rates:

• Counselling and therapeutic support
• Structured peer support
• Training and employment support
• Sports and recreational activities

Social Bite has developed a close working relationship with the Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) and the wider Dundee City Council to design the proposed recovery village model. Social Bite is also consulting third sector organisations, Police Scotland, the NHS, local GP services, schools and residents on the village and its model.

The village will exemplify Social Bite’s and Dundee City Council’s dedication to dignified high-quality design, providing residents with a peaceful, private living space that has a profoundly positive psychological impact.

The Bill Sword Social Bite Recovery Village is not about treatment, which means that residents should be stable in their recovery journeys. The village will offer a stepping stone to normal life and activities will promote positive behaviours both for residents and the community.

Operation of the facility will be constantly reviewed, including through Police Scotland’s Safer Communities programme.

Each resident will have a tailored, holistic support package, which will include family involvement. Family members will be invited to participate in support groups and activities to promote family involvement and connection.