Tag: Castle Rock Edinvar

Barratt Homes leads affordable housing drive across Edinburgh

Barratt Homes East Scotland is leading the drive to bring much-needed modern and affordable homes to popular areas of Edinburgh.

The homebuilder has announced a multimillion-pound investment that will see almost 100 new homes – a mix of social housing and mid-market rent – created across three developments.

Alison Condie, Managing Director of Barratt Homes East Scotland said: “We’re committed to using our position as one of the country’s leading housebuilders to work in partnership with housing associations to develop well-integrated and modern low cost homes all across Edinburgh’s diverse neighbourhoods.

“High quality affordable housing has a huge role to play in addressing some of the most important societal challenges of our time – and we’re proud to help communities thrive by creating homes that meet their needs.”

In south Edinburgh, this includes 24 homes at Lime Grove in Burdiehouse and 29 homes at Heritage Grange – bringing a total of 161 affordable homes to the site once the development is completed. Both projects, which are due to complete by spring 2023, are being delivered in partnership with Castle Rock Edinvar – one of the country’s largest housing associations.

Both developments will provide high quality housing for families in particular, with a new primary school near Heritage Grange, Frogston Primary School, due to open in 2021.

Barratt Homes East

In the vibrant district of Leith, a £6m project will commence to create 43 new affordable homes at Barratt Homes’ Merchant Quay development, built in partnership with the Port of Leith Housing Association.

The homes, which aim to welcome residents by summer 2023, will be the first delivered at the Baltic Street site in recognition of the urgent need for affordable housing.

Barratt Developments – which includes both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes – has to date delivered over 1,000 homes across Edinburgh through the Affordable Housing Policy, making the group one of the biggest contributors to affordable housing land supply in the city in the last 15 years.

This feeds in to the wider Scottish Government goal of providing 50,000 new affordable homes – with work safely kickstarting with urgency following delays caused by national lockdowns. 

For more information about Barratt Homes’ properties and locations, visit 

www.barratthomes.co.uk.

£47.5 million Places for People loan to boost mid-market rent housing stock

One thousand new homes will be delivered across Scotland through the latest affordable housing investment fund. Continue reading £47.5 million Places for People loan to boost mid-market rent housing stock

Work starts on new West Pilton homes

Work has started at West Gait, a 93 home mixed-tenure site in West Pilton. Development and regeneration specialist Places for People has chosen affordable housing expert Lovell to deliver the new houses with a £7.7 million design and build contract. 

The mixed-tenure scheme, situated off the waterfront access road at West Pilton Road, Terrace and Street, is being developed by Places for People. The new housing will complement a previous development by Castle Rock Edinvar that neighbours the new scheme.

Lovell was awarded the project after bidding competitively as one of Places for People’s framework contractors. Construction work started this week and the development is expected to be completed in October next year.

The new housing – a mix of 93 houses and flats – will feature 48 homes for affordable ownership, 15 homes for social rent and 30 mid-market rent homes. The affordable ownership units are a mixture of both shared equity and shared ownership, to provide as many options as possible for people to move in. Mid market rent properties enable those in employment who could not otherwise afford main market rents to access good quality new affordable homes.

The energy-efficient new homes will incorporate high levels of insulation to the external wall fabric and will also include a heat recovery ventilation system. This ventilation system exchanges air extracted from the kitchen and bathrooms for fresh air – achieving good air quality – with heat being recovered in the process.

Councillor Cammy Day, the city council’s housing leader (pictured above) said:  “North Edinburgh’s undergoing a transformation thanks to the effective partnerships that exist between the local community, the council and housing associations such as Castle Rock Edinvar. We are committed to the development of good quality affordable housing, making sure that the city’s people are well housed. The development of this site will deliver 93 homes for rent and ownership which completes an important part of the regeneration of this part of the city.”

Alister Steele, managing director of Castle Rock Edinvar, the Scottish Registered Social Landlord within the Places for People Group, said: “This development is bringing much-needed new affordable homes for Edinburgh, and we are providing a range of tenures which increases the number of options available for people. We will also maintain a long-term interest managing the development once complete. The properties will be sustainable to keep fuel costs down and high standards will ensure residents have new homes to be proud of.”

The scheme will also create new local jobs – Lovell will take on six school or college leavers to work on the project and two apprentices. Lovell regional director Alan Taylor said: “We’re delighted to have been chosen by Places for People to deliver this much-needed new affordable housing development for West Gait. We are committed to delivering a wide-ranging legacy of benefits in the communities where we work and the scheme, as well as delivering high-quality, energy-efficient new homes, will also create important job and training places for local young people.”

Lovell is also currently working with Places for People Developments at Craigs Road, where the company is building a £3.85 million development of 42 apartments.

Eighty attend Dosh Day

Around eighty people attended North Edinburgh’s first ever Dosh Day at North Edinburgh Arts Centre this afternoon, taking the opportunity to find out how they can cut their costs and maximise their household income.

The event was organised by the Lottery-funded Money Matters project. Castle Rock Edinvar’s Head of Neighbourhood Regeneration Heather McNaughton explained: “A group of Housing Associations in Edinburgh work together with the Citizens Advice Edinburgh to help tenants to access debt advice and to encourage people to use support to maximise their income and remain out of unsustainable debt.  As part of the project we had previously co-ordinated a “Dosh Day” in Craigmillar which was very successful and we are now bringing the concept to North Edinburgh with the kind support of local organisations and agencies.”

Citizens Advice Bureaux, Granton Information Centre, Community Renewal, JobCentre Plus, Cyrenians and Volunteer Centre Edinburgh were among the organisations attending on the day, so there was no shortage of sound financial advice.

Funding secured to complete West Pilton Development

Funding has been awarded by The City of Edinburgh Council to enable Places for People, on behalf of Castle Rock Edinvar, to complete their development at West Pilton, just off the Granton Access Road. With the start on site being planned for Spring 2012 the build period is likely to be around 18 months, and the first homes should be available in Spring 2013.

Places for People

Alister Steele, Managing Director at Castle Rock Edinvar, said “We are delighted that with the funding now in place we can complete this site. It has been a long process as a result of issues with access coupled with changes to economic conditions, leading to the need to revise our plans. The City of Edinburgh Council has worked closely with us to help us to find solutions”.

The proposals comprise 93 units, a mixture of houses and flats. There will be a mix of tenures, social rented homes, mid-market rented homes and low cost home ownership. The design of the new buildings will be similar to that of Castle Rock Edinvar’s adjacent development to ensure the two developments complement each other with a few changes such as the replacement of the timber cladding with a different finish which looks similar and a buff coloured brick finish instead of white render.

The new development will have secure back court areas, with drying greens, children’s play areas and seating, as well as careful lighting to enhance security. There will be trees between the development and Granton Access Road. Private gardens will be provided to the front and back of most ground floor properties, with the majority of front gardens to be provided with low maintenance durable planting and clearly laid out public and private spaces.

For further information, please contact Diana Harries, Development Manager, Places for People Developments (diana.harries@placesforpeople.co.uk, Tel 559 2200) with any queries regarding the development.