Sorry if this is a silly question but I have noticed that many vw parts places here and overseas sell heads individually. Does this mean that the heads are the same and could be used on either the left or right side? Once again sorry if this is a stupid question but we are used to V8s where you almost always buy a pair of heads.

yep they will fit either side

Thanks for that info. Thats what I was hoping to hear.

theres no silly questions on here as its all a big learning curve where we all were once

Be aware that all heads are not created equal. They still need to be run as matched pairs.
The compression can vary ie 1600tp replacement heads have a smaller combustion chamber and therefore a higher compression ratio than some original fit heads.
Try getting that to run smooth!