Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) alongside Hackland + Dore Architects have been shortlisted in two categories in the Scottish Home Awards 2022.
The categories are ‘Affordable Housing Development of the Year’ and ‘Housing Regeneration Project of the Year’ in recognition of their Heron Place affordable development in north Edinburgh.
The shortlisted development is situated at Granton Harbour and makes up a stretch of the city’s large-scale waterfront regeneration programme. In total there are 46 homes for social rent, including two wheelchair accessible flats, and 58 homes for mid market rent within the development. The mid market rent flats are delivered by Persevere Developments Ltd, a subsidiary of PoLHA.
The development of Heron Place contributes to the city’s waterfront regeneration by transforming derelict land into a sustainable neighbourhood and addressing local housing needs.
Community activities have been arranged for new residents and locals such as organised walks, courtyard events, and visits to nearby Wardie Bay beach. Tenants have also been involved in gardening within the development’s central courtyard.
Heather Kiteley, PoLHA Group Chief Executive said: “It is wonderful to see residents of Heron Place enjoying their homes and adding to the community at Granton Harbour.
“The development with its friendly courtyard is a joy to visit and I am proud of all those who have been involved in its planning and development as well as the ongoing engagement with those who live there.
“I look forward to seeing the waterfront regeneration programme continue to unfold in the months and years to come.”
Manuela Molendini, Hackland + Dore Architects Associate Director said: “Working collaboratively with PoLHA and CCG, Hackland + Dore Architects have delivered a sensitive design response, focussing on the positive impact on the local community through a range of urban and economic improvements.
“The enhancement of the ‘Public Realm’, comprises of accessible amenity space with high quality landscaping, while expanding connections to the existing marina with a network of paths for pedestrians and cyclists promotes sustainable travel.
“Heron Place is a sustainable response to a brownfield site. The mixed-tenure development provides a comprehensive well integrated placemaking solution that meets housing targets, and delivers a neighbourhood where communities feel connected and can thrive.”
Port of Leith Housing Association has ambitious plans to deliver more than 600 high-quality, affordable homes by 2025. You can read more about this in its strategic plan polha.co.uk/2025.
Proposals for new homes for rent alongside facilities for the wider community at New Mart Road, Chesser, have been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council.
Watkin Jones Group, a leading developer and manager of homes for rent, has lodged a planning application with the Council to redevelop the former livestock sheds, which includes the World of Football and World of Bowling buildings.
The proposed high-quality mixed-use brownfield development will comprise primarily of build-to-rent (BTR) homes, including at least 25 per cent affordable homes, addressing a drastic and increasing shortage of rental housing in the capital.
In addition to this will be a limited level of managed student accommodation (occupying approximately 25 per cent of the floorspace of the development) and community facilities.
The site, which has been operated by Marco’s Leisure for 23 years, currently comprises listed and unlisted former auction mart buildings and livestock sheds which are over 120 years old.
While sensitive to local concerns about the loss of the facilities, independent assessments show that to bring the buildings up to standard would be an unsustainable burden and cost for any organisation.
The current buildings require constant maintenance, repair and upgrade, and development of the site will ensure their long-term future, with a significant proportion of frames retained and incorporated into the overall development.
Marco’s Leisure wants to deliver new sustainable, environmentally friendly sporting facilities rather than maintain what is becoming an impossible task. The company, who are a family business with a long-term commitment to Edinburgh, are in discussions with the Council to explore alternative options for sporting facilities in the west of the city.
The proposed BTR apartments will comprise a mix of studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three-bedroom flats. Community is built into the design of the development, which reflects how people want to live now and into the future with working from home and study space, a communal lounge, exercise facilities, management suite and reception, bike storage and large shared kitchen.
Each of the key outdoor public and residents’ open outdoor spaces will be given an identity as part of the overall masterplan, reflecting the history of the site, including a large central public square.
It is envisaged that the public square will be used by performing arts groups; farmers markets; and as a gathering space for the wider community.
The development is proposed as a car free scheme with parking limited to accessible parking only, and residents will be encouraged to use the good quality public transport and active travel links to their homes.
The student housing portion of the building will also offer communal amenity spaces, bike storage, a management suite and reception areas.
Eve Ladden Timbers from Watkin Jones commented: “Our planning application for this new development at Chesser will create a thriving and diverse community as part of an overall redevelopment of the area.
“There is a massive shortage of homes for people to rent in the capital and through our build-to-rent, affordable and student homes these proposals will create much-needed places for people to live on a brownfield site.
“We have heard and understand people’s feelings about the football pitches but know that these are unsustainable in their current form due to the condition of the buildings. We will continue to listen to the community throughout development.
“We are aware that discussions are being held to look at alternative options for new sporting facilities.”
Paul Demarco from Marco’s Leisure commented: “Investment in recent state of the art facilities, such as World of Football at Marine Drive, show what we can offer through delivering far more viable spaces without the ongoing cost that old out of date buildings unfortunately provide.
“As we are finding, it is proving near impossible to provide quality and affordable facilities under a nineteenth century livestock shed. To address this, we are currently in the process of discussing possibilities for the delivery of facilities on future sites in the west of the city with agents and City of Edinburgh Council.
“As a family business we have a long-term commitment to Edinburgh, and as the baton is passed on from the third to fourth generations of the family, who will be active for many years to come, we are dedicated to delivering high quality affordable leisure and sports facilities.”
What is BTR?
BTR is a relatively new model for creating new homes in the UK but it is very popular in Europe and America. All the properties are built for rent, not for sale and are usually owned by a pension provider that wants to maintain a secure income to pay the pensions of its members.
Because the owner is a long-term professional investor there is an emphasis on future-proofed sustainability and maintaining a diverse thriving community that keeps the building and local area attractive as a place to live for decades.
Residents are offered long-term security of tenure, with the flexibility of renting and have access to wider on-site amenities, such as gyms and workspaces, that offer a better lifestyle the traditional boundaries of rented homes. Pets are often allowed in BTR homes. Recent research by the UKAA found that BTR homes charge similar rents to traditional rented homes.
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) and its subsidiary Persevere Developments Ltd (PDL) are marking Scottish Housing Day 2021 today by celebrating the opening of 104 affordable homes on Edinburgh’s waterfront.
The properties at Heron Place, Heron View, Heron Lane and Hesperus Crossway are situated at Granton Harbour and make up a stretch of the city’s large-scale waterfront regeneration programme.
The development has been designed with existing and new communities in mind and has a sunlit central courtyard which residents will be able to enjoy together. In total there are 46 homes for social rent, including two wheelchair accessible flats, and 58 homes for mid market rent.
The completion of this development brings the number of affordable homes provided by PoLHA in north Edinburgh to over 3,000.
Heather Kiteley, Group Chief Executive said: “It was a pleasure to visit our new development on Granton’s waterfront and to meet some of its new residents this Scottish Housing Day.
“The location is close to various paths and networks that interconnect north Edinburgh’s greenspaces. I am sure the community here will enjoy making the most of the city’s coastline and all the sustainable transport options it offers.
“That Scottish Housing Day is focusing on housing and the climate emergency this year is of personal importance to me. This new development has the lowest Environmental Impact Rating, good insulation, and is fitted with air quality monitors throughout.
“We as an industry have a long way to go to reach net-zero, and I am committed to working closely with colleagues on even more ambitious solutions to the climate challenges we face in the months and years to come.”
CCG Managing Director, David Wylie, said:“The Granton Waterfront Regeneration is one of the most significant of its kind in Scotland with housing being a key part of the City’s vision for its transformation.
“CCG’s journey at the waterfront began at Heron Place and works continue to be progressed with Port of Leith HA on a further 304 homes on an adjacent development.
“It’s an exciting time for the area and the wider housebuilding programme in Edinburgh and we are delighted to be playing our part as we embark on a further 600+ homes which are set to commence in 2022.”
Cezary Grabski, 27, works in Customer Operations for Standard Life. Originally from Poland, he is moving from elsewhere in the Granton area, and says: “I feel very lucky to have found this housing association and this beautiful development.
“The flats are brand new, finished to a very high standard, in a great location and with stunning views of the water and Edinburgh Marina.”
Sarah Watson, 25, a Clerical Officer working with NHS Lothian, is moving to one of the new mid market properties from the Saughton area of the city. Sarah said: “I immediately fell in love with the area and the picture of the flats were to die for!
“I can’t fault anything in regard to the process of applying for a mid market property and would highly recommend anyone to have a look at some for yourself. I can’t wait to move in and make my new flat a home.”
John Donald, 47, is an Accounts Assessor for the Scottish Legal Aid Board. He is moving from Great Junction Street in Leith and says: “I am delighted to have found this mid market rental property in such a great location. I have lived in private rentals since moving to Edinburgh 16 years ago.
“With my youngest heading to university this year I had been thinking I would probably have to move out of the city to find something more affordable. Thankfully I saw the mid market flats available in this development and I am now excited to be moving into a brand new home in a great and developing part of Edinburgh.”
Port of Leith Housing Association has ambitious plans to deliver more than 600 high-quality, affordable homes by 2025.
You can read more about this in its strategic plan polha.co.uk/2025.
Scotland’s councils are to share more than £3.2 billion in grant funding over five years to deliver more affordable homes.
Local authorities will benefit from an increase of more than £541 million on the previous five year allocation – an uplift of more than 20%.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “We have already delivered more than 102,000 affordable homes since 2007. Building on this, our aim is to deliver 100,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent.
“Meeting this ambition will require continued collaboration across the private and public sectors. I’m pleased to be increasing significantly the available affordable housing grant funding for council areas to help with this important work.
“The five-year allocations will provide the certainty and assurance the housing sector needs to deliver the ambitious affordable homes target set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy.”
COSLA Resources spokesperson Councillor Gail Macgregor said: “We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to contributing to the cost of affordable housing in Scotland. The priority for councils, and housing associations, is ensuring rent affordability and warm, safe, comfortable homes for current and future tenants.
“As we look to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, councils are working side by side with their communities. We maintain a focus on our shared ambitions around tackling child poverty and climate change, alongside building more houses.”
The City of Edinburgh Council also welcomes the announcement from Scottish Government on a five-year funding package for local authorities and housing associations in Scotland to deliver new affordable homes.
Edinburgh is one of the most pressured housing markets in the country and needs more affordable homes to meet the needs of its growing population.
City of Edinburgh Council’s Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Kate Campbell said: “This announcement of £233.8m funding for housing in Edinburgh from the Scottish Government over the next five years is hugely welcome. Having certainty over future funding puts us in a strong position to continue building that pipeline of social and affordable homes that we so desperately need.
“This will allow us to plan ahead and acquire sites, design and develop new homes and appoint contractors. And not only do we have certainty, we also have an increase of almost £44m from our baseline allocation over the last five years.
“Having recently met with the Cabinet Secretary to set out the challenges in Edinburgh, and the further investment we need, this is a positive response.
“We’ve also consistently received in-year allocations of extra funding when other local authorities have had underspends in their grant. Over the last five years this has amounted to about £40m. Our aim is to continue making the case for any future underspends to come to Edinburgh by making sure that we continue our strong track record on delivery of homes.
“And, because the need for permanent, secure and affordable housing in our city is so great, we’ll also continue to make the case for additional funding for Edinburgh from the national housing budget. But having certainty for the next five years, and an increase in funding, puts us in a fantastic position just now, and gives us a really strong platform to build from.”
Vice Convener for Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, Councillor Mandy Watt, said: “We have ambitious plans to grow the number of homes we own, which we’ll do by purchasing homes and by building homes through our own housing development programme.
“Alongside this, we’ve got to find ways to deliver more affordable housing through our planning policies. Currently, the minimum amount of land for affordable homes is 25% of any major development. We are proposing that the minimum allocation is increased to 35%.
“As a Council, we’re committed to ending poverty and becoming more sustainable. Our house building programme will make a major contribution towards achieving that.”
More than 100,000 affordable homes delivered – since 2007
Scotland has delivered more than 100,000 affordable homes since 2007, marking a major milestone on the path to a fairer, more equal nation.
Statistics published today show that 102,055 affordable homes have been delivered since April 2007, with 70,866 of these for social rent.
Scotland delivered over 75% more affordable homes per head of population than both England and Wales in the four years to 2019-20, and over nine times more social rented homes per head than in England during the same period.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said yesterday: “This is a remarkable achievement. Today’s statistics tell the story of more than 100,000 households being given access to high-quality, affordable homes – whether they be for social rent or people owning a home for the first time.
“I would like to thank registered social landlords, local authorities, the construction sector and our other partners for helping us hit this significant milestone.
“Scotland has been leading the way across the UK with delivery of affordable housing, but we know there is more to do to ensure everyone has a warm, affordable home that meets their needs in a vibrant, safe community.
“Our utmost priority over the past year has been to keep Scotland safe from Coronavirus (COVID-19), and this has meant placing restrictions on construction or at times stopping it altogether.
“While this has affected our ability to meet our target of delivering 50,000 affordable homes over the last parliamentary period, we are continuing to work closely with partners across the housing sector to deliver the remaining homes as quickly as it is safe to do so.
“We will then deliver a further 100,000 homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent. This is just one of the actions set out in our Housing to 2040 strategy for building a fairer, more equal housing sector, alongside taking steps to tackle high rents in the private sector, setting a single set of standards for housing quality and accessibility, and continuing our work to end homelessness and rough sleeping once and for all.”
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Increased funding to ensure councils can deliver more homes
More affordable homes will be delivered across Scotland this year following a £35 million increase to council allocations, bringing it to £568 million. The increases will continue over the coming years, rising to £591 million in 2019-20 and £630 million in 2020 -21.Continue reading £568 million for affordable housing
The housing sector and government will continue to work together to safeguard against the uncertainties created by Brexit and ensure affordable housing is available to all who need it, Communites Secretary Angela Constance will tell a conference today.
In a speech to the Chartered Institute of Housing Conference, Communities Secretary Angela Constance will reflect on a ‘decade of success’ on housing and regeneration, set out the challenges that lie ahead and how government and the housing sector might work together to respond.
The Cabinet Secretary will highlight:
The need to take action to address an ageing population, and ensuring more suitable housing and services to help individuals continue to live independently and at home
Tackling the damaging effects of UK Government’s welfare cuts, and meeting the challenge of combating child poverty
Safeguarding against the impact of Brexit, which could see a loss of 8.5% of GDP in Scotland by 2030 and threaten 5,000 EU citizens working in the construction sector
Speaking ahead of the conference Ms Constance said: “High quality affordable housing is about more than just bricks and mortar – it provides safe, warm homes, helps create a fairer Scotland, and delivers great economic benefits. As we look to the challenges that lie ahead, that will become ever more important.
“The UK Government’s approach to Brexit threatens jobs, prosperity, and workers. Welfare cuts are plunging more people into poverty. And an ageing population presents big questions in how we support independent living and increase a flexible housing supply.
“Against that backdrop we are taking firm action. Since 2007 we have delivered almost 71,000 affordable homes and committed to delivering at least 50,000 over this Parliament, and we are spending £100 million a year protecting people from the worst impacts of the UK Government’s welfare cuts – cuts that threaten to push more children into poverty. But there is more we can and must do.
“We have given Councils long term planning assumptions totaling £1.75 billion to March 2021 – providing the guarantee needed to deliver our ambitions. As we look to beyond 2021, I want to begin engagement with the housing sector on the best ways to deliver affordable homes that meet the needs of our changing population. We will build on the great work already done as we take new and innovative approaches to ensure another decade of success.”
More Homes Scotland is the overarching approach to bring together all activity to increase supply
During her speech, Communities Secretary Angela Constance will set out a priority for everyone in Scotland to live in a high quality, sustainable home, which is affordable and meets their needs. Ms Constance will reiterate the importance of the four housing and regeneration outcomes and suggest how these might underpin the government’s approach:
A well-functioning housing system, where homes are first and foremost for living in, rather than for storing up wealth.
New and existing homes reaching high quality and sustainability standards, with all householders benefiting from the same high standards of accommodation and consumer protection.
Homes that meet people’s needs, with the housing market becoming more flexible to allow people to meet their changing needs, including new housing for older people.
Sustainable communities grow and develop, with people able to afford to stay in the communities they grew up in, if that is what they want.
