Great Junction Street development launched
Port of Leith Housing Association and subsidiary company Persevere Developments Limited’s latest development has been officially opened by Malcolm Chisholm MSP.
The new affordable housing development at Great Junction Street consists of 32 high quality and energy efficient homes – nine one bedroom and 23 two bedroom properties – providing 20 new homes for social rent and 12 for mid market rent.
Located in the centre of a busy shopping street, the ground floor has also been designed as a large commercial space which has been leased to local community group, The Junction, providing health, education and support services to young people.
Malcolm Chisholm, Labour MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, said: “I am delighted to be officially opening this outstanding housing development which has been named as one of the top affordable housing developments in the UK. There is always a desperate need for more affordable homes in this city and I am pleased that once again Port of Leith Housing Association is providing such high quality, energy efficient homes.
“I am very pleased also that the superb The Junction is benefiting from spacious new premises on the ground floor.”
In keeping with the surrounding buildings, the exterior is stone and the properties feature Solar Thermal Heating provided by panels located on the roof.
The main contractor was CCG Limited and the architect was EMA. The £4.23million development was funded by a combination of private finance raised by PoLHA and a Government grant allocated by the City of Edinburgh Council.
Great Junction Street has recently been named as one of the top 50 affordable housing developments in the UK and is also shortlisted for a “Homes for Scotland” award.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of Port of Leith Housing Association, said:
“We are extremely pleased to have completed these new homes in what has been a complex and challenging process for us over the past few years. The development, design and construction team should be congratulated for their efforts.
“Working closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and other funders we are able to provide much needed additional high quality, energy efficient and affordable homes in the heart of Leith plus the added bonus of enabling The Junction, which is a highly valued local community project, to locate its services in new modern facilities.”
PoLHA has built the mid market rent homes on behalf of its wholly owned subsidiary company Persevere Developments Ltd (PDL) which was set up in 2011 to enable the Association to offer a wider variety of affordable housing in future.
PoLHA owns over 2700 properties throughout Leith and the wider North Edinburgh area and has plans to deliver 400 more new affordable homes over the next few years through the Association and its subsidiary Persevere Developments Limited.
Pictured: (left to right: Keith Anderson (PoLHA Chief Executive), Jack Hunter (PoLHA Chairman), Great Junction Street tenant Julie Crawford, Malcolm Chisholm MSP and Philip Neaves (Chairman of Persevere Developments Ltd).
