The City of Edinburgh Council’s affordable housing development in Muirhouse has been short listed in the ‘Best Social Housing Initiative’ category in the MJ Local Government Awards #MJAwards18
The city council has also received a nomination in the Innovation in Communications category.
The MJ Achievement Award winners will be announced at a gala event at London’s Hilton Hotel on Park Lane on 27 June.
Council plans to build an additional 5000 homes
The City of Edinburgh Council has set out plans to build 8,000 homes in an attempt to address the shortage of affordable housing and tackle the impact of soaring housing costs in the private sector.
A report to Tuesday’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee will outline proposals to increase the Council’s house-building programme from 3,000 to 8,000 over the next decade.
The report represents a major change in the Council’s bid to meet growing demand for new affordable homes. Almost 150 households bid for every Council and housing association home available to let in Edinburgh, and the city’s population is set to grow by up to 30% over the next 20 years.
The Council has already committed to funding the construction of almost 3,000 new homes through the award-winning 21st Century Homes and working in partnership with the National Housing Trust. The proposals are part of the Council’s ongoing budget consultation details, of which can be accessed here.
Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Expanding the Council’s award-winning house-building programme would be a bold and strategic response to the acute shortage of homes in Edinburgh. High quality, low cost, energy efficient housing is simply out of reach for far too many people in the city. We are determined to address that.”
The Council’s 21st Century Homes team are holding information events next week. Find out more about the new homes planned for Pennywell Phase 2, the site located behind Craigroyston Community High School.
Come along to the information sharing events:
Event 1: Murhouse Library
Tuesday 10 March, 4.30 – 7.30pm
Event 2: Craigroyston Community High School
Thursday 12 March. 1.30 – 4.30pm
This Phase will be a follow on from the development of the new housing on Phase 1 currently on site in the location of the old Craigroyston High School.
For further information about the events, please contact Ann Wilson, Senior Project Manager for 21st Century Homes on 529 7429, email ann.wilson@edinburgh.gov.uk
Regeneration’s back on the agenda as conference hears of ‘growing optimism’
It was one of Europe’s most ambitious regeneration programmes – an opportunity to clean up a massive brownfield site, create new communities and link Edinburgh’s city centre with the sea. Hotels, new homes, schools and small businesses were to be built on the old industrial waterfront, all served by a modern, efficient tram network. There was even talk of a floating island – but then came the recession …
That was six years ago, but the economy is recovering at last and there’s growing optimism that Edinburgh’s waterfront can now fulfil it’s undoubted potential.
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership and local community councils organised a community conference at Edinburgh College on Granton’s waterfront last weekend to inform local residents about what’s happening now and what plans are in place to regenerate the waterfront area. Around sixty delegates attended the ‘Buiding New Futures’ event and heard speakers outline plans that could see North Edinburgh transformed over the coming years.
It’s well known that Edinburgh has a severe housing shortage, and with growing pressure on Edinburgh’s cherished green belt the opportunity to build new homes on brownfield sites must be seized. Speakers from National Grid and the city council outlined plans to build thousands of new homes along the waterfront, and highlighted prospects of local employment opportunities as the regeneration gathers momentum.
A major house building initiative is already well underway in the area: as part of the 21st Century Homes programme, the Council is about to let their first new homes in a generation. Work is also underway on the former Craigroyston High School site which will form the first phase of plans to build over 700 new homes for sale and rent over the next eight to ten years in Pennywell and Muirhouse.
People living in these new homes will need services, of course, and health provision in the area is already under strain. NHS Lothian Partnership Development Manager Steven Whitton outlined the latest plans for a major new health facility, the North West Edinburgh Partnership Centre – that’s only a working title, mind, there’s got to be a catchier name than that!
The £12m Centre in Pennywell (above) will focus on child health and family support services and will house a new GP surgery, community nursing and midwifery services, dentistry, podiatry, physiotherapy and child health services. The centre will also provide facilities for social work and some voluntary sector organisations and is expected to open in September 2016.
Given the sheer scale of the regeneration project – the many different elements of the area’s development and the number of partner organisations involved – it was impossible to cover all aspects in minute detail, but the conference provided a timely update to local residents and Forth Neighbourhood Partnership plans to work with the local community councils to ensure that neighbourhoods are kept informed and involved as work progresses.
Forth Neighbourhood Partnership’s chairperson Councillor Cammy Day (pictured above) said: “I was pleased to see a great turnout at the event, and the diverse groups of people who are keen to take part in shaping their new and existing neighbourhoods.
“The conference provided a fantastic opportunity for the community to get to know more about regeneration taking place and to meet with key landowners and developers. This is not just about much-needed affordable homes, but the creation of jobs and training opportunities, leisure facilities and attracting investment into this area.
“This event isn’t a one-off either, I will be establishing a local development group where the community, council, developers and landowners in Granton Waterfront can get around the table, discuss plans at an early stage to shape and influence proposals, where possible, to meet our needs. It was a great start to what I hope will be a long-term partnership between the community and all those involved in regenerating this part of North Edinburgh.”
West Pilton & West Granton community councillor Willie Black, who was involved in organising the event, said: “The conference gave the community the opportunity to hear all the major players outline their plans for the regeneration of the waterfront and beyond – and to have their say. Everyone who was there though it was useful, but where now? A new regeneration forum group is to be set up and over the next few weeks community organisations will be invited to join and help build on the conference.”
Granton Improvement Society’s Barbara Robertson said: “Our stall attracted a lot of interest, particularly in the proposed Garden Festival and artisans’ village, and we’re pleased Cammy supports our project and wants to see it included in the area’s regeneration. The success of the conference showed the enthusiasm of the community to be involved in planning the regeneration of their area and paved the way for a new forum for the community to have their say.”
Some cynics will say ‘we’ve heard it all before’, but what about the next generation? Members of North Edinburgh’s Young People’s Forum attended the event and their feedback was very positive. Among their comments: ‘Feels like most of us if not all of us now know more about what is happening in the area’, ‘it’d be great to have more events like this to feed back on plans and what has been done’ and ‘feel more involved in what is happening and with what is going on in the area’. One suggested: ‘it would be good to say what has been done in relation to what the community has asked for – like a ‘you said – we did’ kind of thing’. Oh, and not so many big words next time please!
Building New Futures? Maybe this time …
Work on one of Scotland’s largest ever housing-led regeneration projects started in North Edinburgh this week and children from Craigroyston Primary School joined city council Housing leader Councillor Cammy Day and community representatives to lend a hand on the old Craigroyston High School site earlier today.
A total of 719 high quality private and affordable homes will be built as part of the Muirhouse and Pennywell area master plan.
The Pennywell development will be delivered by the Council’s 21st Century Homes programme and will lead to 356 homes becoming available for social and mid-market rent over the next six years.
Urban Union will sell the remaining 363 homes privately. Delivered in four phases, the first phase will see 193 homes, of which 108 will be for the Council, being built by the end of 2016.
The project will also deliver a number of community benefits, including jobs and training through apprenticeships and work placements.
An Arts Strategy for the regeneration is being developed and Urban Union recently appointed North Edinburgh Arts to take this forward. Other plans for the area include a play area, park, a community garden and landscaping.
Cllr Day said: “I’m delighted that the work on this development, in partnership with Urban Union, is under way at last and it’s great to see the children from Craigroyston here. They will be here to see the benefits of the area’s regeneration, and may even move into new homes themselves.”
Janice Russell, Director of Urban Union, said: “We are now looking forward to moving on site and progressing with one of Scotland’s largest and most significant homes-led regeneration projects.
“As well as homes, the Pennywell project is also set to deliver a huge range of benefits – including apprenticeships and construction jobs as well as an innovative artworks strategy which will all deliver wider opportunities for the local community.
“Most importantly, we now want to build on the high level of community engagement which has already taken place in the development of the masterplan for the area. There will be opportunities for the community to be involved in finalising the plans for public spaces as well creating a range of community enterprises and partnership working.
“Our track record in Scotland shows we are 100% committed to community engagement and we look forward to developing strong local partnerships which will form the cornerstone of our development street.”
Roy Douglas, chairperson of the Muirhouse and Salvesen Community Council, said: “The local community will be really happy to see that the work on this major project is starting. The development is a vital step forward in the regeneration of this area and will bring vital jobs and low-cost housing.”
Last week, the city council announced that a record amount of affordable homes are being built in Edinburgh, delivering more than 1,200 quality, low-cost places to live in 2013/14.
The Council, working with housing associations and house builders, invested £142m of public and private funding in house building over the past year generating £107m for the local economy, and support for more than 1,900 jobs.
As of March 2014, 1,000 homes were under construction – and building more affordable homes remains a key priority. Councillor Day said: “The fact that this has been another record year for the provision of affordable homes in Edinburgh despite the economic climate is excellent news. Residents have the right to access quality, sustainable housing in their local communities and we are working hard to make this happen.
“However, it’s important that we keep up the momentum and continue to work with partner agencies to provide new housing each year. Demand for housing that people can afford to rent or buy will continue and we are committed to meeting this need, as well as supporting the local economy.”
It’s been talked about for so long, but there’s still no sign of the Neighbourhood Hub, or Partnership Centre as it’s now called, opening any time soon – so what’s happening? You can find out tomorrow (Wednesday 2 April) at an informal drop-in session at North Edinburgh Arts Centre from 3 – 7pm.
For further information email steven.whitton@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
tim.packer@edinburgh.gov.uk or henry.coyle@edinburgh.gov.uk
The city council is running an art competition for schoolchildren from Muirhouse, Pilton and Pennywell to mark the start of construction of new homes in West Pilton Crescent – and the closing date for entries is fast approaching.
‘What does home mean to you?’ is the appropriate theme of the competition which is open to pupils of Pirniehall, St David’s, Craigroyston and Forthview, Oaklands and Craigroyston Community High School. Entries can be drawings, paintings, a collage or photographs – but your artwork must be submitted by the closing date of next Friday, 25 October.
Winners of the various categories (see the attached poster) will be announced on
Thursday 21 November. Good luck!
Pupils from St David’s and Pirniehall Primary Schools rolled their sleeves up to lend a hand when work on the new 21st Century Homes development at West Pilton Crescent got underway last week. The children had the honour of cutting the first little sods … and no, definitely no further comments!
Our thanks for Councillor Vicki Redpath for the photographs
Muirhouse and Pennywell will be regenerated as part of the council’s 21st Century Homes initiative, but Muirhouse resident Robert Pearson has written to the city council expressing concerns over the current state of the area:
I feel it necessary and appropriate to email you. I have lived in Muirhouse for eight years and have seen a steady decline in the area. Most recently the flats on Muirhouse Avenue were brought down to make way for the so called 21st century homes. No work has started since these flats where demolished months ago, instead you felt it necessary to plant some sort of wild flowers. These have never been maintained and as a direct result we now have a large open area which has now been taken over by weeds in excess of 4ft in height. If maintained correctly the area could be used by local children until such time the building work starts.
I made contact with my councillor regarding this matter but I feel I need to chase it up myself; I fail to understand why 21st century feel its appropriate to leave the area in such a mess. I know Muirhouse is not the most pleasant area but you’re certainly not helping.
There is a path which kids are expected to walk along to and from school which runs from Muirhouse Park to Muirhouse Avenue; this is overrun with weeds either side, flies, slugs and snails. Whilst I understand this can’t be totally prevented, this is something I would expect on a nature trail not on a walk way in the middle of a housing estate. So why is this happening, I ask? I’ll explain why: it’s because we have substantial amount of weeds either side.
I truly believe that we live in a forgotten estate, I think it would be beneficial for you to visit the area to understand my concerns. Simple resolution: cut the weeds down and a general clean up of area.
I am more than happy to meet up and discuss in person, I have photographic evidence if you require.
I await a prompt reply
Robert Pearson
A contract worth an estimated £80m to build around 800 new homes in the Pennywell/Muirhouse area of Edinburgh has been advertised by the City of Edinburgh Council. The contract is part of the project for the second phase of the Council’s 21stCentury Homes programme which aims to build up to 1,400 mixed tenure homes for sale and rent across the Capital over the next eight years.
At least half of the homes in Pennywell will be affordable with the remainder for sale and rent in the private sector. Construction on the site is due to start in 2013 with the new homes being ready to be lived in by 2014.
Mark Turley, Director of Services for Communities, said: “This is an exciting time for the people in Pennywell. The development is a housing led regeneration opportunity which will boost the local economy by providing new jobs in the construction industry as well as supporting local businesses.
“As part of the procurement process, the successful developer is also being asked to provide training opportunities and apprenticeships for young people during the course of the construction project. This will be a hugely important contribution to the regeneration of this area.
“The development provides the Council with the opportunity to unlock private investment, provide a mix of new housing and create a sustainable development for the area. ”
The successful developer will be required to comply with the existing planning permission in principle secured by the Council as well as the Pennywell/Muirhouse Design Guide, which sets the blueprint for design quality, energy-efficient new homes, roads, footways and high quality public space.
City of Edinburgh Council
