Day: March 13, 2025

Social Bite Village on the move?

COUNCILLORS APPROVE RELOCATION TO NEW WATERFRONT SITE

Social Bite, renowned for its ground-breaking efforts to combat homelessness, has welcomed Edinburgh City Council’s approval of the relocation of the charity’s supported accommodation facility to a new site at Granton Waterfront.

Councillors voted in favour of the move, ensuring that support can continue for up to 16 residents at any given time. Each person who finds a home at the Village has experienced homelessness, and the supported accommodation aims to break the cycle by providing round-the-clock support and reintegration into community living.

Despite a recommendation by the Housing and Planning Committee to reject the proposal due to concerns about the site’s alignment with Edinburgh’s greenbelt targets, councillors unanimously overturned this recommendation.

They cited the charity’s excellent use of greenspace for community gardening—with 50% of the site committed to such purposes—noting that the Social Bite Village contributes to the city’s efforts to effectively use greenspace. Other comments of support highlighted the project’s “overriding benefit to the community and public.”

This significant vote to overturn the recommendation means the proposal will now be submitted to Scottish Government Ministers for a final decision.

The new site, which will continue to be managed by fellow homelessness charity Cyrenians, is less than a mile from the current Village in Granton.

It was selected following a resident survey that identified local amenities and greenspace as important factors, enabling residents to carry out daily tasks such as shopping and commuting to work. The proximity to the Granton seaside was also a key consideration.

The relocation will bring a refresh to the Hub, a communal area where residents can cook, gather, and relax. Additionally, the new location will introduce seven redesigned and improved one-bedroom “Nest Houses,” developed in response to resident feedback.

Social Bite and Cyrenians, which has managed the Village since its inception in 2018, have collaborated to ensure a smooth transition for current residents.

The decision to relocate was prompted by the planned end of the current lease on land donated by Edinburgh City Council, which is part of phase one of the Granton Waterfront development plans. The original lease term was five years and later extended by an additional two years.

The pre-fabricated houses were designed for easy relocation, allowing the charity to make use of a “meanwhile site” that would otherwise have been unoccupied. This adaptability is a key part of Social Bite’s innovative approach.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “We’re thrilled that Edinburgh City Council has approved our planning application for the Social Bite Village today.

“We’d like to thank the councillors for visiting the proposed site and for suggesting a hearing to learn more about how this valuable project will contribute to the Granton regeneration programme.

“We look forward to the next stage and to working with Edinburgh City Council to make a real difference for people experiencing homelessness in Scotland today.”

At the end of their stay at the Village, residents receive support transitioning to permanent accommodation and employment. To date, the Edinburgh Village has helped over 120 residents, many of whom have secured jobs and moved into their own homes.

For more information on the Edinburgh Village, visit: 

https://www.social-bite.co.uk/what-we-do/the-edinburgh-social-bite-village/

No more meetings. Time for  action!

UPDATE FROM NORTH EDINBURGH PARENTS ACTION GROUP

North Edinburgh Parents Action Group held their 3rd meeting with senior housing staff at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre at the end of last month.

The meeting was  well attended by local  people affected by housing issues but unfortunately there were fewer senior  staff in attendance than previous meetings which the group felt was disappointing.

The  meeting focused on a number of key issues which have been raised by local people including :  

  • overcrowding and a shortage of larger houses  in North Edinburgh, 
  • poor standards of repairs,
  • issues with  Edindex,
  • lack of support to tenants allocated PSL (Private Sector Leasing) properties, and
  • inaccurate information contained in progress reports on individual cases.  

Local people presented each of these issues to the  Director of Housing  and his staff  and  pointed out that most of these issues  had already been brought to their attention at the previous two meetings and in their publication ‘SOS – North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ which was published last May.  

It was also pointed out that since then the group have raised other issues which are affecting tenants who have been housed in temporary accommodation and nothing has been done to address these issues.

Commitment from Director of Housing

The Director of Housing acknowledged people’s frustrations and reassured the meeting that his team were working  on these issues and  were developing new ways of working which he hoped would improve the service. 

Furthermore, he agreed to take the following action in response to the latest information people had shared about their experiences :

  • To meet with the Chief Executive of PSL to highlight all the complaints people have raised and to clarify how the system works
  • To invite a senior member of the new build team to the next meeting to provide information on the numbers of houses available for social rent, particularly larger properties and new properties which can be adapted.
  • To provide a written response to all the issues raised in the group’s report
  • To organise regular  drop-in sessions locally to enable tenants to access housing staff who are able to provide support and information on a variety of housing-related issues.

Enough is Enough

Although the group welcomed these commitments, there was also a feeling of disappointment  and frustration at the lack of progress in tackling the area’s housing problems. 

People also felt disheartened that after all these meetings senior housing managers were unable to provide  answers to things they should really know about.

Susan Rowand, chairperson of the parents group, said: “We were shocked at the fact that people in this position didn’t seem up to speed or familiar with their own systems. 

“We need to have confidence that those at the top understand  what is  going wrong and have a plan to put it right.”

No more false promises

The meeting was also attended by representatives from Low Income Families Together (LIFT) who reported that they were dealing with the same issues in Muirhouse on a daily basis. 

Pauline Bowie, Manager of LIFT said: “As well as changes to the system, there needs to be a  commitment by Council Officers, local Councils and MSPs to ensure that the changes are enforced.   We don’t want any more  false promises. 

“Many of the properties people are stuck in are uninhabitable and would  never make it onto the Edindex housing bidding service.  These properties  are offered as PSL to reduce the numbers of people  in temporary accommodation and to reduce the level of support required by the CEC housing support services. This needs to change now.”

North Edinburgh Parents Action Group