Leading UK homebuilder, Miller Homes is launching a brand-new development in Edinburgh this Saturday (22 June), bringing 152 homes, including 39 affordable, to a popular residential area just south of the bustling capital.
Edgelaw View will comprise a mix of two-bedroom apartments, three-bedroom townhouses and three and four-bedroom family homes, providing buyers of all ages and stages in Edinburgh with plenty of choice when it comes to new build homes. The development follows the success of Edgelaw, Miller Homes’ 2019 development in the area, and aims to meet the demand for energy efficient homes within easy reach of Edinburgh.
In a move towards helping buyers live sustainably and reduce energy costs, each Miller home at the new Edgelaw View development will come with solar panels and the development will feature electric vehicle charging points.
Speaking about the upcoming launch, Regional Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East, Neil Gaffney said: “We’re excited to start selling homes at Edgelaw View and make our return to the area after the huge success of Edgelaw.
“The new development has something for a wide range of buyers, whether they’re looking to get a foot on the property ladder, upsize to a larger home, or downsize to a convenient location near Edinburgh. Given the demand for new homes near the city centre, we’re expecting a big uptake on the styles released for sale this weekend so would encourage buyers considering a move to register their interest now.”
The first homes at Edgelaw View, which are currently being built, will be ready to move into later this year, and buyers will get the chance to explore Miller Homes’ only townhouse showhome in Scotland when it opens early 2025.
Edgelaw View is being sold from Miller Homes’ Carberry Grange development, located off Whitecraig Road, Whitecraig, East Lothian EH21 8PG.
To be kept up to date with the latest news on Edgelaw View, or to find out more about the upcoming development, visit www.millerhomes.co.uk.
Help for first-time buyers across the country on low to medium incomes
A scheme to help first time buyers and certain priority groups step on to the property ladder has reopened for applications.
The Open Market Shared Equity (OMSE) scheme is available across Scotland to first-time buyers on low or medium incomes who cannot afford the full price of a home.
Successful applicants will be able to buy a home without having to purchase it in full, usually between 60% and 90% of the property’s value, with the Scottish Government owning the remaining share.
Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Taking the first step on to the property ladder can be difficult for some, especially during the cost of living crisis where we have seen inflation and interest rates push house prices up.
“We recognise that and by reopening the OMSE scheme we are giving help to as many people as possible to own an affordable home by creating a level playing field with other buyers.
“I would encourage anyone who is either a first-time buyer or in one of the priority groups to consider applying through the scheme.”
On Thursday, (6th June), the Scottish Minister for Housing, Paul McLennan, visited Longniddry Village, an award-winning development from Places for People and Cruden Homes in association with Wemyss and March Estates.
Located on the East Lothian coast, the development’s current success represents the value and positive influence of multi-tenure communities in Scotland.
During the Minister’s visit, he met representatives from the development and discussed how working together on mixed-tenure developments like Longniddry Village enables the creation of thriving communities and provides solutions to Scotland’s housing crisis, where 110,000 households are currently on the waitlist for social housing.
In research recently commissioned by Places for People, three-quarters of Scotland respondents believe new developments should be multi-tenure and over 80% believe they should offer community facilities, such as cafes, restaurants, and shared social spaces.*
Named ‘Large Development of the Year’ at the Homes for Scotland Awards 2023, Longniddry Village comprises affordable housing as well as homes for private sale. This not only appeals to a range of prospective buyers, from first-time buyers to downsizers but also helps to support Scotland’s vision for everyone across the country to have a safe, warm, and affordable home that meets their needs.
The Minister’s visit involved a tour of Longniddry Village, where he saw the first phase of the development, which showed the delivery of outright sale, affordable rented housing, and older living properties.
This was followed by a tour of the ambitious conversion of the historic Longniddry Steading where a number of the commercial space are nearing completion, followed by the second phase of residential development, where he could see Longniddry Village’s mid-market rent offering and plans for other sales tenures.
Places for People understand placemaking and have successfully delivered mixed-tenure communities of blended development before, such as Tornagrain in the Scottish Highlands. The organisation understands that by focusing on this way of building it can remove the stigma of social housing and act as another way to address the housing crisis.
Colin Jack, Production Director for Places for People comments:“It was wonderful to show the Scottish Minister for Housing around Longniddry Village, where he could see our progress and witness the growing and friendly mixed-tenure community, who are enjoying their new homes in this idyllic setting.
“However, our main topic of discussion remained on the current housing crisis, and how we can work collaboratively to deliver the new homes required. With an overwhelming number of households on the waiting list for social housing, we need to find solutions that can support developers to build at the scale and pace required to address our housing shortages.
“At Places for People, we are committed to building new homes as we see it as our responsibility and will look to deliver 2,500 new affordable homes across Scotland in the next five years. As a social enterprise, all our profits are recycled back into the organisation, so we can focus on helping those struggling the most to meet their living needs.”
Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “The new mid rent homes at Longniddry Village will play a valuable role in boosting Scotland’s affordable housing supply.
“Everyone deserves a warm and safe place to call home and these high-quality, energy efficient properties will help to meet the needs of the local community for generations to come.”
PICTURED: L-R: Martin Andrews, Factor at Wemyss & March Estates; Housing Minister, Paul McLennan; Colin Jack, Production Director at Places for People; Fraser Lynes, Managing Director at Cruden Homes; Edward Taylor, Taylor Urbanism)
Citra Living, part of Lloyds Banking Group, is to bring 87 new, high-quality homes to the rental market in Edinburgh following its latest deal with Barratt Developments.
Citra, which owns and operates a growing portfolio of more than 2,000 homes across the UK, has acquired 66 apartments and 21 colony-style houses from the UK’s largest housebuilder at its Heron Bank scheme in the north of the city.
The deal sees Citra take on a range of one, two and three-bed homes at the 115-home development which is nearing completion in the city’s Bonnington area. The homes are a short walk to the many shops, cafes and restaurants of Leith and the open spaces of a number of local parks, including the Royal Botanical Gardens.
The first phase of homes will be available to rent from next month.
Heron Bank is located on South Fort Street near the Water of Leith and represents the successful regeneration of a previously disused steel works and builder’s yard. The former brownfield site is also less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre, including the capital’s UNESCO-recognised Old and New Towns and nationally connected Waverley train station.
The acquisition is part of the strategic partnership formed between Citra and Barratt Developments in 2021 with the aim of improving access to high quality homes for UK renters. To date, the partnership has contracted to deliver more than 1,500 homes across the UK, with this latest deal following Citra’s acquisition of 156 new family homes at Barratt’s Winnycroft scheme near Gloucester last month.
Andy Hutchinson, chief executive officer of Citra Living, said: “Our focus continues to be bringing forward high quality new homes and delivering a positive rental experience in places where people want to live.
“Brownfield regeneration has a huge part to play in the UK’s housing mix, and this scheme highlights how new life can be breathed into a disused site to grow the residential offering in what is already a thriving and well-connected area.
“It’s pleasing to see the continued success of our partnership with Barratt, which has consistently created high-quality homes for our customers. Anticipating our first customers arriving this summer, we look forward to the new residential community at Heron Bank taking shape.”
Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt Developments East Scotland, said: “Barratt Developments is proud to be continuing its partnership with Citra Living by providing much-needed rented accommodation in one of Edinburgh’s most vibrant areas.
“With current conditions in the market, it’s more important than ever that we look at a spectrum of options when it comes to the development of homes. By transforming brownfield sites such as Heron Bank, we’re unlocking land that would otherwise lie dormant, providing further investment into the Leith community.”
Midlothian becomes fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000
Average Scottish house price now £223,525, up 1.4% on February, up 1.9% annually
Scott Jack, Regional Development Director at Walker Fraser Steele, comments: “In March, average property prices in Scotland increased by 1.4%, or almost £3,000, following a five month decline.
“This was a far stronger performance than that witnessed in the English and Welsh markets. Scotland’s average house price is currently just over £223,500, which is about £300 less than its high price from June 2023.
“This significant turnaround speaks volumes about the negligible movement we have seen in recent months.
“Four authorities—Midlothian, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, and Inverclyde—achieved new heights in terms of their regional average values and the total number of local authorities reporting rising prices was twenty-one, the highest since May of last year – another clear and welcome sign that the market is beginning to stabilize.
“Of particular note is the 1.5% increase for Midlothian which made it the fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000.
“It’s too early to assume the cost of living pressures are abating but mortgage pricing has been keen over the last couple of months as lenders fight for borrowers. With a general election due this year, we know housing is a key issue for voters and we may yet see some further promises made to buyers and owners before a vote later this year. That would give further impetus to this positive trajectory.”
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Housing market commentary
After falling for five months in a row, average house prices picked up in March by 1.4%, some £3,000, and a positive outcome compared to markets in England and Wales. Scotland’s average house price now stands a little above £223,500, that is within £300 of its peak level reached in June 2023. The seemingly marked turn-round speaks volumes about the narrow tramlines within which the market has moved over the past year.
Figure 1. Weakness in prices appears to have ended
Scotland’s brief flirtation with annual price falls last December has been short-lived. The market swung firmly back into positive territory in March, climbing by more than £4,000 and 1.9% from a year earlier, as Figure 1 shows. This is the strongest performance in more than a year and compares favourably with that seen south of the border over recent months.
Table 1. Average prices in Scotland for Mar 2023 – Mar 2024
Local Authority prices
Table 2. How prices in March 2024 compare
Twenty one local authorities experienced rising prices in the month – the highest number since May last year and a further sign that the housing market is stabilising. Higher values helped four authorities – Midlothian, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Inverclyde – to reach new peaks.
The five most expensive local authorities all reported higher prices in March, albeit marginally so in the case of East Lothian. A 1.5% increase for Midlothian made it the fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000.
Figure 2. How prices have changed between March 2023 and March 2004, by local authority
As can be seen from the heat map, in March the vast majority of local authorities (24) reported stronger prices than a year ago, the highest number since February 2023.
Inverclyde reported a double-digit percentage increase in prices over the year for the second month in a row. That said, we would not read too much into these figures, distorted as they are by a period of price weakness the year earlier.
Transactions analysis
Figure 3. Monthly sales over the most recent year compared with a year earlier
The housing market has been lacklustre over much of the past year. For 2023 as a whole, sales totalled 91,600 properties, which is 12% down on 2022 and not much above the Covid-induced lows of 2020.
But the headwinds have eased over the past few months, helped by more attractive mortgage pricing and easing cost-of-living pressures. As can be seen in Figure 3, monthly sales are no longer lagging materially below year-earlier levels.
A positive shift in market sentiment helped lift sales in January marginally above those in January 2023 and sales for both February and March appear to be closely tracking year-earlier levels. Sales of property in the capital and of properties worth more than £750,000 already appear to be modestly outpacing the corresponding 2023 numbers.
For the time being, it is hard to know whether this is just a degree of stability returning to the market or a more significant recovery story.
Sales are still down on pre-Covid levels and market confidence is likely to be sensitive to changing market expectations of interest rates and political uncertainties.
However, without doubt analysts’ expectations of significant price falls across Scotland, Wales and England in 2024 have fallen away over the past few months and forecasts have been revised upwards to suggest Scotland may see modest price growth over the year.
While there remain uncertainties around interest rates and mortgage pricing, there is a general sense that the worst is behind us. The pent-up demand that built up over 2023 and into 2024 is beginning to come through and that should be reflected in prices.
There may also be a move by the UK government to help support first-time buyers in the run-up to the General Election which could add further momentum.
Level of opposition falls from 41% to 20% if new homes affordable for local people
Support for new homes on brownfield land 20 points higher than for those elsewhere
This polling supports CPRE’s campaign for the redefinition of ‘affordable’ housing in line with local incomes and its calls for a brownfield-first national housebuilding policy.
New polling by YouGov, commissioned by CPRE, the countryside charity, has revealed that half of people who object to new housing in their local area would support them if the homes were affordable to people on average local incomes.
Whereas 41% said they did not want to see the construction of more homes close to where they live, that proportion fell to 20% if those homes were locally affordable.
So-called ‘affordable’ housing, which can currently cost anything up to 80% of market rates, is usually anything but. CPRE is calling on the government to redefine the term in housing policy and link it directly to local incomes.
The results of the poll, carried out by YouGov, show that this change would encourage many people to support developments to which they would previously have objected.
The poll also showed an increase in support for new homes from 50% to 71% if they were built on brownfield land. There are enough ‘shovel-ready’ brownfield sites in England for 1.2 million new homes.
Building them could provide people with genuinely affordable housing – close to where they already live, work and go to school – and protect the countryside at the same time.
This is a major endorsement of the brownfield-first house building policy, which is critical to reducing the need to build on Green Belt land that could otherwise support nature restoration and other environmental benefits such as flood defences.
Developments in the Green Belt have been shown to underdeliver on affordability, while research published by CPRE in 2023 showed social homes accounted for less than 5% of those built on Green Belt land.
“The Green Belt is the countryside next door for 30 million people in the UK. It should be improved and protected to help us tackle the major environmental challenges we face, not covered with large, car-dependent ‘executive’ homes that local people neither want nor can afford.
CPRE chief executive Roger Mortlock said: ‘The results of this poll tell us that people want new homes to be affordable for local people and built on brownfield sites. Both are possible with enough political will and we want to see all parties make strong pledges to deliver that.
‘We need to move away from the idea that people in the countryside are against development. They want the same things as everyone else: housing on a scale and at a cost that’s appropriate for their local community that respects environmental limits.
“Land is this country in a finite resource and our countryside is working harder than ever to meet the multiple environmental and social challenges we face.
“For new housing we should prioritise inner-city brownfield development, urban densification and regeneration of towns, delivering the homes we need today while safeguarding the countryside for future generations to enjoy.’
TOO many UK homes are “cramped, cold and prone to dampness” a leading property expert has said. Jonathan Rolande said a damning report which lambasted much of our housing stock, was “correct”.
The Resolution Foundation study concluded the UK’s housing stock is also the oldest in Europe with four-in-ten homes built before 1946 meaning many were poorly insulated as a result.
Commenting on the report Jonathan Rolande, founder of House Buy Fast, said: “The poor state of housing as highlighted by The Resolution Foundation Report shows that many of our homes are suffering in the same way as much of our other infrastructure – railways, roads, school buildings, water services, wherever we look we see a similar issue.
“A huge proportion of our housing stock is pre-war, the typical Victorian terrace. Many that aren’t were hastily built immediately after the war to replace the two million lost to bombing. The Foundation explains that these properties are cramped, colder and more prone to dampness. This is correct.
“However, the reason that UK homeowners and tenants are more hard done by than their foreign counterparts isn’t simply because of the age or style of property, it is more deep rooted than that. The issue is not the stock, it is the price.
“Newer homes – even brand new (perhaps especially brand new) have their own problems too. Older properties are usually well built, solid internal walls make them well soundproofed, and they have large lofts and large windows.
“Even the cheapest will usually have decent outside space. The issue is a lack of surplus income to carry out essential repairs and energy-saving upgrades. Those that are let suffer because landlords are not properly incentivised to improve their tenant’s homes.
“The issue is supply, there are too few homes full stop, irrespective of their age. If more, many more, were built, prices and rents would be less volatile and gradually, our housing stock would become better value for money.”
According to the Resolution Foundation report, countries that have a similar level of prosperity to the UK consume more housing in terms of amount per person than we do here.
Britain’s total expenditure per capita is just 4 per cent lower than that of Austria, for example, but we spend 24 per cent less on housing per person than Austrians do. The equivalent figures for Canada are 2 per cent and 22 per cent respectively.
Overall, when it comes to housing, UK households are getting an inferior product in terms of both quantity and quality, the report claimed.
Compared to our general price levels, the UK was ranked by the Foundation as having the highest quality-adjusted price of housing of any developed economy.
Adam Corlett, Principal Economist at the Resolution Foundation, said:“Britain’s housing crisis is likely to be a big topic in the election campaign, as parties debate how to address the problems of high costs, poor quality and low security that face so many households.
“Britain is one of many countries apparently in the midst of a housing crisis, and it can be difficult to separate rhetoric from reality. But by looking at housing costs, floorspace and wider issues of quality, we find that the UK’s expensive, cramped and ageing housing stock offers the worst value for money of any advanced economy.
“Britain’s housing crisis is decades in the making, with successive governments failing to build enough new homes and modernise our existing stock. That now has to change.”
LOCAL PARENTS LAUNCH DAMNING REPORT ON HOUSING CRISIS
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group has launched an exhibition and publication highlighting the horrific housing conditions local people are being forced to live in.
The group also screened a new film about the lived experience of a local woman’s heart-breaking attempts to secure a decent home for her children.
North Edinburgh Parents Group hope that the event held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre yesterday will draw attention to the significant impact that poor housing is having on local families’ physical and mental health and will send a clear message to politicians at all levels of government that urgent action is required to tackle North Edinburgh’s housing crisis.
Guests were welcomed by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre chairperson Billy Fitzpatrick and the event was launched by Forth SNP councillor Stuart Dobbin, who has been taking a particular interest and holding surgeries on the issue:
“Living in a home safe from Damp and Mould should be a basic right that all Council and Private tenants should enjoy.
“This important event was made all the more powerful and moving by hearing the testimony of women who, with their families, have to live with Damp and Mould and the exhibition showing pictures from inside their homes.
“Dampness creates a risk to our physical health and our mental health. It impacts on the future life chances of our children. And if not addressed, it places additional burdens on our doctors and the wider NHS services.
“This is the issue that I am most passionate about addressing as a Councillor. By my estimate about one quarter of all Council dampness cases in Edinburgh are in North Edinburgh.
“I have been raising cases and campaigning within the Council for faster action to be taken to eradicate damp from tenants homes, and as a result, the Council has now set up a dedicated, skilled team to do just that. Early days and a lot to do.
“I want to hear from residents who have damp and mould, or are having difficulty getting the problems addressed.
“I will be at Pilton Community Health Project tomorrow morning (Friday) from 09.15-11.00 if anyone needs to discuss this or any other matter that I can help with. Or you can email me – cllr.stuart.dobbin@edinburgh.gov.uk”
Few who attended the event could fail to have been moved by the heart-rending stories of local woman struggling to be heard. The women, for many of whom English is not their first language, bravely shared their dreadful experiences to a packed room.
As one said after the event: “Speaking to a big crowd made me very nervous and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it.
“But we all did do it – we had to do it. We want people to hear how we are living.”
A spokesperson for the group said: “We understand that there are no simple solutions or easy fixes to Edinburgh’s current housing emergency.
“However, Edinburgh is one of the richest cities in the country and it is time that all levels of government – Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government – come together and prioritise spending on improving housing conditions in this city.
“We are serious about our demands and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure a decent place to live. We hope that we do not have to resort to a class action which is the route that over 50 tenants from various local authorities have taken in order to secure a warm, safe home.
“However, nothing is off the table. Enough is enough!”
Sara, who spoke at the event, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell our stories and have our voices heard.
“We’re fed up of nobody listening to us and being blamed for causing the problem. It’s not our fault. It’s well documented that people have been having problems with dampness and mould down here for decades and its time that something was done about it for once and for all”.
Susan, another member of the group, added: “We are really disappointed that the ‘high heid yins’ didn’t come to our event to hear our stories and see for themselves the conditions that people are having to put up with.
“We will be making sure that they all get a copy of our report and we will be expecting to hear from them soon about how they are going to respond to our demands. They need to understand that we’re not going away.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University, also spoke at the event.
Thanking the women for their moving testimonies, Olivia’s presentation explained how homes are much more than just physical structures and made clear that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life”.
Sara says this is an extremely worrying fact for those of us with young children who have been living in mouldy homes for most of their young lives.
Dawn Anderson, Director of Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), who attended the event along with members of her Board, including former Leith MP/MSP and Holyrood Health Secretary Malcolm Chisholm, said: “We are very concerned about the problems the parents group has raised.
“PCHP has been supporting people to get help for some time. One parent has been working with Media Education on a new film featuring the nine year battle of Anita, a local women, desperately trying to escape her damp house”.
Dawn explained how it was fitting that the parents action group had called their exhibition ‘Home Sweet Home’: “It’s 40 years since PCHP was established in North Edinburgh and dampness and ill-health was one of the first issues the campaigners worked on. Meetings with local parents led to a womens’ group forming.
“They produced a slide show called “Home Sweet Home” and presented it to health professionals in the area. This resulted in The Scottish Executive backing a research project conducted by the University of Edinburgh who established a direct link between dampness and ill-health all those years ago.
“There have been countless studies on this issue over the years which have drawn the same conclusions. Sadly, we can see from Anita’s film and from the parents stories and photographs, little has changed and family’s in the area are still faced with health threatening living conditions.”
The Group is already planning a follow-up event to build on the momentum created by yesterday’s launch.
HOME
A poem by members of North Edinburgh Parents Action Group
Efforts to boost affordable housing supply by acquiring properties to bring into use for affordable housing and help reduce homelessness will be given an £80 million uplift over the next two years.
The funding, announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf on a visit to Hillcrest Housing Association’s Derby Street development in Dundee, will increase the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget to nearly £600 million in 2024-2025.
Investment will help reduce the time spent in temporary accommodation, including by children, and will also accelerate discussions with COSLA in relation to the number of local authority void properties.
The First Minister, who faces a vote of confidence at Holyrood next week, said: “Housing is essential in our efforts to tackle child poverty and reduce inequality across Scotland, and it supports jobs and growth in the economy. Providing good quality, affordable housing is at the very core of what my Government is doing to make Scotland a better place.
“While there is a single person homeless in our country, it is simply not acceptable to have houses sitting empty – so I am determined that we remove the barriers, and provide the money that will enable councils to buy properties so they can become affordable homes again.
“This £80 million will build on the success of our National Acquisition Programme which I announced last year, which spent more than £60 million and delivered more than 1,000 affordable homes. This is one of a number of actions we are prioritising to help to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation.
“We will also accelerate discussion with COSLA in relation to the number of empty council homes.”
