A trio of community consultation events will take place next week in Liberton ahead of the council’s major transformation of the site into much needed homes. In partnership with Anderson Bell + Christie, HTA landscape architects, G3 Consulting Engineers and arts organisation WAVEparticle, the pop-up events will give those living in
The latest phase of the Council-led regeneration of Greendykes is set to move ahead following a funding boost of just over £620,000. Secured from this year’s Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme, the funding will enable the Council to clean a site in the area of contamination and improve ground
The Council is set to spend around £128 million over the next 12 months as it continues to invest in improving Council homes and building new affordable homes in Edinburgh. At a meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee on Thursday (24 March), Councillors agreed a comprehensive spending
Proposals for a ground-breaking ‘net zero’ housing development, as part of the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project in north west Edinburgh, have been granted approval by city planners (12 January 2022). The Granton D1 project is the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) pilot which will see the construction of 75
250 households are now in mid-market rent accommodation, thanks to Council’s mid-market rent partnership, Edinburgh Living The new Edinburgh Living website will provide more information about the partnership and signpost those looking for a mid-market rent home to what is currently available and under construction. Launched in January 2019, the
The City of Edinburgh Council’s affordable housebuilding programme continues apace with construction starting this week (Tuesday 25 May) on a further 49 new affordable and energy efficient homes for Dumbryden Gardens in Wester Hailes. Following completion of the Dumbryden Gardens phase one development in November 2019, phase two has commenced on the former Dumbryden primary school site. Led by construction partner Robertson Partnership Homes, procured through SCAPE Construction, the site combines 35 homes for social rent and 14 homes for mid-market rent and includes a
Scotland’s First Minister has given the green light to a construction industry soft start – The move will allow a number of contractors to get back on site, under strict conditions – Council Leaders welcome the news and say public and worker safety will remain top priority for Edinburgh Construction
BDC 319 : Aug 2024
A trio of community consultation events will take place next week in Liberton ahead of the council’s major transformation of the site into much needed homes. In partnership with Anderson Bell + Christie, HTA landscape architects, G3 Consulting Engineers and arts organisation WAVEparticle, the pop-up events will give those living in the local area the opportunity to hear about plans and share views. The events will take place throughout the day on Monday 29, Tuesday 30 and Wednesday 31 January in the Malbet, Ellen’s Glen and Carnbee areas of Liberton and an online survey is also available. This is the second community engagement activity for the sustainable neighbourhood project which will deliver around 400 new homes within the Liberton area, a significant number of which will be accessible and affordable for social or mid-market rent. These new homes will be built on the grounds of Liberton Hospital including the former Blood Transfusion Centre, as part of the Council’s direct purchase of the land from NHS Lothian, and the aim is to retain as many of the original features of the historic Victorian hospital as possible. NHS services will continue to occupy the premises until March 2025 once the hospital’s remaining services have been relocated. Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “For over 100 years Edinburgh residents have been cared for under the roof of Liberton Hospital. I’m delighted that we’ll be able to pay that care forward as we tackle our housing emergency and convert the site into much needed new homes. “We’re committed to putting care-based housing at the centre of this redevelopment and I’d like to thank our partners at the NHS for working with us to secure the land. It has been many years in the making. “By demolishing the 1960s built extensions, including the disused Blood Transfusion Service, we’ll be able to design an accessible green neighbourhood of low-carbon housing from scratch. This should help lots of people with specialist needs particularly older residents to live comfortably and with independence. Plus, it will allow us support people who are in desperate housing need as we’re determined to make more than half of the homes on site affordable or social rent. “Tackling poverty and striving for net zero are two of the biggest priorities for the council and we must do everything within our power to work against the housing crisis. This project supports all of these aims. I’m really looking forward to seeing the plans take shape and for the community to have a real say.” Sarah Brown, Senior Architect at Anderson Bell + Christie, said: “Community consultation events such as this are extremely important as they give the local community a chance to share their opinions and help shape a future neighbourhood. “We’re hoping we will meet and talk with plenty of local residents on what they’d like to see from this project, so we can support on a range of housing needs and set them within a rich and beautiful greenspace.” Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals
The latest phase of the Council-led regeneration of Greendykes is set to move ahead following a funding boost of just over £620,000. Secured from this year’s Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme, the funding will enable the Council to clean a site in the area of contamination and improve ground conditions, while work begins to design new, affordable, net zero carbon homes. The Council expects to fund the build of around 130 homes on the site. Regeneration expert Urban Union has been appointed to deliver the properties and will progress plans via the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme – an innovative new business model for delivering affordable homes based around greater use of offsite construction. Through collaboration with local and national government, academia and the construction industry, the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme will establish improvements in new affordable housing with a focus on time, cost, quality and carbon reduction. The programme was set up to develop and test a new business model for the construction of affordable homes using offsite construction methods. It has the potential to transform the productivity and performance of affordable housing and enable a move towards homes build to net zero standards. Planning permission in principle has already been granted as part of an existing masterplan. In the coming months, the Council and Urban Union will engage with local people on home designs and, subject to ground works, it is anticipated that the first properties will be delivered in phases from early-2024 to mid-2025. Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Never has our need for better housing been greater as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency, so we need to be really ambitious and use the small amount of space we have in our city creatively. “For years, developers have overlooked this empty piece of land because of how complex it is to unlock. Yet, it’s situated minutes away from the Innocent Railway cycle path and is close to the Royal Infirmary and local employment. The area benefits from countless bus links into the city centre and it is a fantastic place to live. “I’m thrilled that we’re going to be able to put the green back into Greendykes and we’ll work with local residents as we create these new net zero carbon homes. The funding will help us to transform the land and the local environment, while also providing new affordable and efficient places for people to live in line with our major housebuilding strategy.” Neil McKay, Managing Director, Urban Union said: “As a delivery partner for the regeneration of Greendykes, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide homes that not only create a community but that bring benefits to the occupiers and the wider environment. “By utilising the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme, the Council is showing its commitment not only to its tenants through the selection of quality homes but to innovation and the city’s pledge to be net zero by 2030. “We are looking forward to meeting with the local residents to discuss the plans for the new homes and to obtaining their valuable input which will make sure that Greendykes becomes a blueprint for city centre regeneration.”
The Council is set to spend around £128 million over the next 12 months as it continues to invest in improving Council homes and building new affordable homes in Edinburgh. At a meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee on Thursday (24 March), Councillors agreed a comprehensive spending programme for the year ahead. Under the plans, improvements will be carried out to more than 3,000 Council homes – making them greener, safer, and more accessible for generations to come. The investment plan will also drive forward the Council’s ambitious house building strategy, supporting the development, build and supply of even more sustainable and affordable new homes to address the city’s housing pressures and tackle the cost-of-living crisis. The Council aims to be one of the first local authorities in Scotland to pilot a ‘whole house retrofit’ approach to support the Council’s net zero carbon commitment. Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee said: We’re really scaling up our efforts to improve the condition of people’s homes and driving forward our housebuilding programme, so that residents can have permanent homes that are energy efficient, safe and affordable. Our ambition has been to deliver 20,000 affordable new homes by 2027 and we’re well on the way to achieving that despite the pandemic and Brexit, which have been really challenging for construction. And now we’re having to navigate a cost of living crisis, so we have set a rent freeze for our tenants to support them through this. But, longer term, all the work we’re doing now to make homes much more sustainable will also help us to drive down fuel bills. The steps we’re taking to make better use of shared greenspaces is also important for tenants’ wellbeing. Our investment plan for the year ahead will make a big difference to our tenants, both their quality of life in their homes, and to their cost of living. Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee said: There are huge pressures on housing in Edinburgh and those on low incomes continue to be the most affected by high rents and high bills. Housebuilding has a role to play in providing more affordable and energy efficient homes, and to help us meet the city’s growing demand for accommodation. While funding and land supply remain two key challenges, we’re doing a lot of work to maximise the number of homes we can deliver. But we’re also investing in existing homes and revolutionising housing to provide safer, warmer, and more enjoyable places to live. As we carry out this work, there is a real opportunity to work with staff and Trade Unions to grow our in-house team and further strengthen our repairs service, to provide the very best customer service and value for money we can. This is a complex piece of work but we’re committed to exploring opportunities for upskilling and apprenticeships in the years ahead. I’m pleased officers are looking into a plan, particularly as we scale up our housing investment as we emerge from the pandemic and move forward with innovative ways of working to make people’s homes energy efficient. A report will be brought forward in three months’ time to explore this in more detail. The Capital housing priorities for the year ahead were agreed by members of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on Thursday (24 March) and are outlined in the 2022/23 Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Capital Programme report.
Proposals for a ground-breaking ‘net zero’ housing development, as part of the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project in north west Edinburgh, have been granted approval by city planners (12 January 2022). The Granton D1 project is the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) pilot which will see the construction of 75 net zero carbon homes and three retail units in Granton. The project is led by the City of Edinburgh Council with support from construction and academic partners and is part of the Council’s ambitions to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027. The project is being undertaken in partnership with CCG (Scotland) Ltd to test this new business model for building affordable, net zero homes. A large proportion of the construction will be carried out off site in a factory setting reducing the overall time it takes to build the homes. The homes will also include zero emissions heating. This will help to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and support the city’s 2030 net zero target. The pilot is also supported by a team from Napier University that will analyse the energy performance to validate and inform the net zero carbon strategy for future EHD projects. The EHD project aims to deliver 1,000 affordable net zero carbon homes across the six council areas in the City Region Deal. With an ambitious target to become a ‘net zero’ city by 2030, both of these developments, alongside the 444-home Western Villages development, will act as a blueprint for future sustainable development and help Scotland to transition towards a greener economy. Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: Making homes more sustainable will help us to meet our net zero targets, but the most important thing is that our tenants will benefit. With the cost of living rising sharply, making the running costs of homes more affordable will help tenants on low incomes, preventing fuel poverty. This pilot, and the learning we hope to take from it, is a really important step for us on our journey to making all of our housing stock more energy efficient, and better for tenants to live in. We have incredibly ambitious plans which form the bedrock of our housing strategy over the next ten years. There is a critical need for more affordable homes in Edinburgh and we are responding to that through our commitment to deliver 20,000 social and affordable homes by 2027. Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: The Granton D1 development will provide affordable places to live for everyone with over 60% being for social rent. The development is part of the wider Granton Waterfront regeneration, which includes the creation of one of Europe’ s largest new coastal city parks. We hope to provide residents and visitors with the chance to reconnect with the city’s waterfront and take advantage of the new leisure and outdoor experiences that will be on offer – altogether fostering an environment that will benefit everyone’s health, community spirit and wellbeing. Councillor Neil Gardiner, Convener for the Planning Committee, said: This sustainable development is a great addition to our major regeneration of Granton Waterfront to create a coastal town with lots of green and open space. It was good to see the committee unanimously backing the project which will provide the area with much needed affordable net zero homes as well retail units providing businesses opportunities and employment locally. Calum Murray, CCG (Scotland) Director and Edinburgh Climate Commissioner, said: The approval of Granton D1 is another important milestone for the City of Edinburgh Council and CCG. By working collaboratively alongside our partners, we are pioneering the delivery of affordable, net zero homes in Scotland and the Council is to be congratulated for taking these necessary first steps in delivery of our country’s net zero carbon ambitions. CCG is delighted to be leading the design and build of Granton D1 where we will provide a cutting-edge demonstration in the use of fabric first design and construction technology. We look forward to advancing works on-site in the very near future. The approval made at the Development Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday 12 January and construction of Granton D1 is expected to begin in Spring 2022. The Granton Waterfront regeneration project also includes the refurbishment of the Granton Station building and the Granton Gasholder restoration project, which is currently lighting up the skyline in a joint project with Edinburgh College. The wider proposals will bring over 3000 additional homes and create one of Europe’ s largest coastal city parks linking Granton Harbour to Cramond and Lauriston Castle, reconnecting the city with its waterfront and providing opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy spectacular views across the Forth while experiencing enhanced leisure and outdoor activities.
250 households are now in mid-market rent accommodation, thanks to Council’s mid-market rent partnership, Edinburgh Living The new Edinburgh Living website will provide more information about the partnership and signpost those looking for a mid-market rent home to what is currently available and under construction. Launched in January 2019, the housing delivery partnership has a strong programme to deliver homes, and will provide 500 households with affordable, secure homes by the end of 2022 Edinburgh Living, the City of Edinburgh Council’s mid-market rent partnership, is celebrating hitting a key milestone with more than 250 families now in quality affordable homes thanks to the initiative, developed in partnership with infrastructure experts, Scottish Futures Trust. Now in eight sites across the city, Edinburgh Living’s 250th tenant moved into their new home in Craigmillar last month. Let and managed by Lowther Homes, part of Wheatley Group, Edinburgh Living has also launched its new website this week which will provide information about the initiative and help more individuals and families find their new home through links to what homes are available and what is coming soon. Danielle Beatson, 42, who has recently moved into a three-bedroom home with her partner and three children, said: We love our new home; it’s in the perfect area and is so spacious. The community is great; it’s a really family-friendly area, and my children are often outside playing with friends. The home has made a big difference to Danielle’s life: Our landlord was selling the home we were renting and we were struggling to find another suitable property at short notice. Mid-market rent was a fantastic, affordable option for us. The application process was simple, and we were able to move in quickly after applying.” We feel so settled and secure now; my partner and I are really happy, and so are the kids, which is brilliant. Launched in Jan 2019, supported by the Scottish Government, the Council set up Edinburgh Living to address the lack of affordable housing available in Edinburgh by offering mid-market rent homes to households on low to middle incomes that were struggling to access property, either to purchase or rent, on the open market. The initiative is also supporting homelessness prevention, working together with Council services and Lowther Homes to raise the profile of mid-market rent as an option for lower income households at risk of homelessness. The Council and Scottish Futures Trust have strong ambitions to continue to grow Edinburgh Living, with an acquisition target of 500 homes by the end of 2022, and the long-term aim to provide 1,500 new mid-market rent and market rent homes over the next few years. The Council is proactively identifying more homes to achieve this ambition, delivering well-built, well-managed and energy efficient new homes through its own housebuilding programme. Councillor Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener said: Hitting this big milestone and now having 250 family households in safe, warm and affordable homes, with more homes being identified to double that figure by the end of next year is just fantastic. Also hearing what a difference these bright and modern homes are making to people’s lives is the reason we started this programme in the first place. Making sure everyone has access to an affordable and energy efficient place to live has long been our priority. We have ambitious plans to grow the number of properties we own which we’ll do by purchasing homes, and by building homes through own housing development programme, delivering 20,000 affordable homes by 2027. As a Council we’re also committed to ending poverty, becoming more sustainable, while helping to foster greater wellbeing and inclusion, and so Edinburgh Living is just one of the ways we’re doing that for our residents and the city of Edinburgh. Councillor Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice-Convener, added: It’s a real joy to have families moving in and settling into their new homes through Edinburgh Living. And it’s great to see the new website provide more information about the partnership and signpost those looking for a mid-market rent home to what is currently available and under construction. We now have homes in eight locations which puts Edinburgh Living homes in three quarters of the city. These homes provide quality, stable accommodation to families, improving the diversity of communities and helping with the regeneration of parts of Edinburgh. Christa Reekie, director Development and Housing at the Scottish Futures Trust, said: As infrastructure experts, we’re always looking for new and collaborative ways to maximise the delivery of affordable housing and boost the impact they have in communities right across Scotland. Edinburgh Living is a case in point – a joint venture that is working towards the delivery of 1,500 much-needed, affordable and market rent homes in Edinburgh. Today’s milestone marks a significant step in the programme that is now benefitting 250 families and is increasing the supply of high quality, energy efficient homes for many years to come. Heather Voisey, Lowther Homes Managing Director, said: We’re delighted to mark this important milestone in our partnership with Edinburgh Living. Mid-market rent flats offer much-needed affordable housing in sought-after locations, and it’s great to see the 250th tenant move in. We look forward to continuing to let and manage affordable Edinburgh Living homes across the city. Edinburgh Living has homes across eight locations including Clermiston, Hailesland, Pennywell, Greendykes, North Sighthill, Royston, Dumbryden and Craigmillar.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s affordable housebuilding programme continues apace with construction starting this week (Tuesday 25 May) on a further 49 new affordable and energy efficient homes for Dumbryden Gardens in Wester Hailes. Following completion of the Dumbryden Gardens phase one development in November 2019, phase two has commenced on the former Dumbryden primary school site. Led by construction partner Robertson Partnership Homes, procured through SCAPE Construction, the site combines 35 homes for social rent and 14 homes for mid-market rent and includes a number of wheelchair accessible homes. This development, to be completed in Winter 2022, is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s housing building programme which, along with housing association partners, will contribute to the delivery of 20,000 new homes across the city by 2027. Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: It’s great to see construction starting on another council-led development with more new council houses getting built. Our house building programme has to meet the needs of our communities and so these homes will be accessible, highly energy efficient and some homes will be fully wheelchair adapted. There are so many families in need of permanent, affordable housing, so it’s good that next year these homes will be ready for families to move in and be part of this growing community. Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener, said: I’m looking forward to seeing the development start to take shape over the course of next year, and bring a range of benefits for the local community through revitalising a disused site and through additional initiatives delivered by our contractor, Robertson Partnership Homes, as part of the project. Edinburgh has one of the most ambitious house-building plans of any local authority in the UK and these are great example of quality Council-led homes that will be affordable to rent and live in long term. Matt Collins, managing director, Robertson Partnership Homes, said: Last year we completed 263 new homes for the City of Edinburgh Council’s Small Sites Programme through Scape’s Major Works Scotland framework and are proud to be the delivery partner for the second phase at Dumbryden Gardens. The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to providing high-quality homes and equal housing opportunities for its residents. The inclusion of sustainable features which will further benefit the residents underlines the Council’s commitment to the natural environment and the wellbeing of the communities it is creating. Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: We’re delighted that Robertson Partnership Homes and the City of Edinburgh Council will be delivering energy efficient homes for both social and mid-market rent. SCAPE is fully committed to helping clients achieve their net zero carbon target. Whilst the need for social and affordable housing is ever pressing, it’s important that new homes are delivered which help address the environmental challenges we face, and it’s encouraging to see the City of Edinburgh Council future proof their housing stock.
Scotland’s First Minister has given the green light to a construction industry soft start – The move will allow a number of contractors to get back on site, under strict conditions – Council Leaders welcome the news and say public and worker safety will remain top priority for Edinburgh Construction workers across the Capital will be able to get back on site following an announcement by the Scottish Government. Speaking yesterday (Thursday 11 June), First Minister Nicola Sturgeon signalled that the industry is now able to move into Phase Two of its Six Phase Recovery Plan. This means site works and structural changes to domestic properties are allowed to restart – if Covid-19 guidance can be followed to protect workers and the wider public. Council Leaders have welcomed the move, which will allow many workers to return to their jobs and enable key projects to prepare for a safe reopening. Council Leader Adam McVey said: “This welcome change brings us another step closer to getting Edinburgh’s construction industry back on track. “From building much-needed affordable housing, schools and Edinburgh’s new Meadowbank, to improvements across our transport network, we have around 110 construction projects under contract worth £339m. Getting these projects back underway and progressing high profile developments like the Tram to Newhaven and new St James Centre will be a priority for the industry, the local economy and, crucially, hundreds of our residents who work in construction.” Depute Leader Cammy Day added: “We’ve been working closely with our contractors so that they can make their sites and working practices as safe as possible. It’s vital that no work gets underway until proper measures have been put in place to protect communities and workers against Covid-19. “Changes won’t take place overnight and must be gradual, and we’ll be looking at how we engage local communities at each stage.”
