£10m to help people worst affected by pandemic to avoid eviction
Councils have been given £10 million to provide grants to tenants who have fallen behind on their rent as a result of the pandemic and are at risk of eviction.
The grants will help tenants who are struggling financially as a direct result of the pandemic, allowing them to reduce or pay off their rent arrears. They will be available to tenants in both the private and social rented sectors.
This is part of a package of measures available to local authorities to prevent homelessness, alongside Discretionary Housing Payments and advice on maximising income. The grants also come on top of the Scottish Government’s £10 million Tenant Hardship Loan Fund.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “We have been doing all we can to support tenants who are struggling as a result of the pandemic, and this latest funding takes our total housing support to almost £39 million.
“These grants will support tenants and landlords who are willing to work together to address rent arrears and agree a repayment plan to ensure the tenant is able to avoid eviction.
“Councils have substantial experience in supporting people who have fallen behind on their rent, and are therefore well placed to work with both tenants and landlords in making use of this grant fund. Anyone who has been financially impacted by the pandemic and needs help to avoid eviction should contact their local authority housing department to discuss their circumstances.”
Councillor Kelly Parry, COSLA Community Wellbeing spokesperson, said: “We are working closely with the Scottish Government to support tenants through the grant fund.
“The pandemic has resulted in some facing a significant loss of income which has resulted in a proportion of these developing rent arrears. The fund is limited and therefore will be targeted at those most at risk of eviction, but will allow local authorities, tenants and landlords to work together to stay in their homes and prevent homelessness.
“Councils have a lead role in supporting a fair and inclusive recovery. Enabling people to sustain their tenancies helps maintain their important community connections.”
Nearly £1.5million will be allocated to Edinburgh to help those in social and private tenancies at risk of becoming homeless.
The aim of the fund is to provide an additional tool for the Council to help save tenancies, create sustainable housing solutions for individuals and prevent homelessness, alongside its other initiatives in place.
This includes the Council’s Private Rented Service (PRS) Team, which looks to help private renters keep their existing tenancy or to move to either a new private or mid-market rent secure tenancy, and the ‘multi-disciplinary response’ team which helps Council tenants who are struggling to maintain their tenancy or falling into rent arrears.
In addition Edinburgh Help to Rent, which is a service the Council contracts Crisis to deliver, provides rent deposit guarantee bonds.
Under Scottish Government guidelines, local authorities have to allocate the Tenant Hardship Grant Fund by the end of this financial year (March 2022). The Council is currently assessing eligibility criteria in order to support those most at risk.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said:“This money from the Scottish Government comes at a critical time. Between the cut in Universal Credit, the national insurance increase, the end of furlough, rocketing household fuel bills due to the energy crisis, and now the fuel crisis – households are being hit hard.
“We will use this money to help people who have fallen into rent arrears during the pandemic, to help prevent evictions, homelessness and the burden of debt being placed on vulnerable households. This is a lifeline that will help people to stay in their own homes.
“Our Private Rented Sector Team has stopped 427 households from becoming homeless in the last 18 months, while our multi-disciplinary response team is successfully supporting our council tenants who’ve fallen into arrears. This funding from the Scottish Government means we can do even more to prevent families and households becoming homeless.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said:“The work being done by the Council and in collaboration with partner organisations like Crisis has already made a big difference to preventing people from becoming homeless. But there is still more that needs to be done with around 6,000 people currently homeless in our Capital.
“As we come out of the Covid-19 pandemic, it could become even more difficult to find suitable accommodation for everybody who needs it. So the work of our prevention teams will be more important than ever.
“We will be working to identify those most at risk without delay because many people are already in financial difficulty and it’s likely to get worse as winter weather and rising energy prices put more strain on household budgets.”
Nina Ballantyne, Citizens Advice Scotland Social Justice spokesperson, said: “The Citizens Advice network saw a real spike in demand for housing-related advice during the pandemic. Our analysis suggests almost 300,000 people in Scotland missed a housing payment last year because they ran out of money before pay day.
“We called for more support for tenants and are delighted to see this fund launch – we’d now encourage people to seek advice on what support is right for them and make use of all the options available.”
Local advice is available from Granton Information Centre. Telephone 0131 552 0458, 0131 551 2459 or email info@gic.org.uk
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) has secured an internationally recognised excellence award from the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM).
EFQM’s Recognised for Excellence status enables organisations to evaluate and demonstrate efforts to improve performance against a range of globally recognised definitions of excellence.
PoLHA achieved a Five-Star Excellence Award, following a rigorous, independent assessment process which highlighted the organisation’s main strengths and areas for improvement.
The EFQM Assessment Team identified a wide range of positive practices across customer service, strategic planning and staff engagement among PoLHA’s 107 employees.
The organisation was also praised for the flexibility and responsiveness with which it met the impact of Covid-19 while simultaneously proceeding with ambitious plans to undergo an organisational review and launch a new strategic plan.
PoLHA’s Group Chief Executive, Heather Kiteley, said: “EFQM assessment provides a robust means with which to measure our performance as we work to provide affordable homes and life-changing services and create brilliant communities in Leith and north Edinburgh.
“The Five-Star Excellence Award is testament to the hard work of our staff team, who were praised for their sense of purpose and commitment to high standards of customer service. Our ambition is to push on and meet the challenge of embedding even more good practices to drive continuous improvement across the Association and the rest of our Group.”
Janet Robertson, EFQM Director, Scotland said: “We are delighted to see Port of Leith Housing Association awarded 5-Star Recognised for Excellence.
“PoLHA demonstrated a clear purpose and commitment to delivering high standards of customer service. Their flexibility demonstrated in response to the Covid pandemic, and the dedication to their people during this time of change is a further testament to their drive for excellence. We are proud to recognise PoLHA as a leading organisation in Scotland and a valuable member of our EFQM community.
“Thanks to everyone who took part in the Recognition process, and many congratulations on the well-deserved progression from four to five stars.”
Average house prices in Scotland reaches new record level – £207,877
July sees largest increase in average price in a month since March 2015, up by £6,000
Lack of properties on the market helping to support values
2021 has highest number of sales over £750k of last seven years
Includes breakdown of 27 local authorities
Alan Penman, Business Development Manager at Walker Fraser Steele, comments:
“The average house price in Scotland at the end of July stands at £207,877, a new record level, having risen by some £5,950, or 2.9%, in the month. This is the largest increase in a month since March 2015 – just prior to the introduction of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax in Scotland the following month.
“The average house price has increased by some £20,550 – or 11.0% – over the last twelve months. This is 2.5% higher than the 8.5% recorded one month earlier. The annual rate had been slowing over the previous three months from a high in March 2021 of 11.4%. But it is the continuing strong performance of larger properties that is supporting the current growth.
“Sales volumes, which now appear to be running at the levels seen in 2018, also suggest larger properties are supporting higher average prices. Lower transactions and strong prices at the top-end show that demand is exceeding supply with the focus of the market on higher value transactions supported by continuing record low interest rates.
“Combined with the previous tax savings associated with the LBTT holiday, these factors have encouraged the whole market to focus on larger properties and give cause to believe the exceptional performance of larger properties might continue for some months to come.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst
The July housing market:
Scotland’s average house price at the end of July stands at £207,877, which sets a new record level, having risen by some £5,950, or 2.9%, in the month. This is the largest increase in a month since March 2015, which was just prior to the introduction of the LBTT in Scotland in April 2015.
One of the main reasons for the current upward movement in prices is a result of the lifestyle changes associated with “working from home”, which has brought about a shift in housing preferences to larger properties – with space for home working – rather than commuting to-and-from one’s place of work.
The demand for larger premises continues to be strong, and for some includes moving to Scotland from London, or from other major cities in the UK and beyond. However, the supply of larger homes in Scotland remains thin, with strong competition for those properties that do come onto the market.
Last month we noted that the ending of the LBTT tax holiday in March 2021 made little difference to the high-value end of the housing market, with the number of purchases of £750k plus homes in June 2021 actually exceeding those of March 2021 (see Page 5). We suggested that this was probably due to the level of tax saving being limited to £2,100 in Scotland (compared to a saving of £15,000 in England), which is a relatively small sum in relation to a property costing £750k.
The tax holiday was therefore more likely to influence buyer behaviour at lower price levels, with purchases at £250,000 qualifying for the maximum tax savings. With the number of lower-priced sales falling in July, due to the purchase of such homes having been brought forward into the earlier months of the year, this will have had the effect of raising the average price of the properties that were purchased in the month.
Looking at Figure 1 below – which tracks the average house price in Scotland – we can see that prices reached a mini-peak in March 2021, immediately prior to the ending of the LBTT tax holiday on 1 April 2021. Average prices then started to fall, as buyers of high-value properties reduced in number (see Table 2). However, the reduction in high-value sales only continued through April and May, with June and July seeing a return of the higher-value purchases. This was perhaps assisted by those who had decided to move away from buying properties in England, where the threshold on tax savings had reduced to £250,000 at the end of June.
Transactions analysis
Monthly transaction counts
Figure 2 below shows the monthly transaction count for purchases during the period January 2015 to July 2021, based on RoS (Registers of Scotland) figures for the Date of Entry (Applications Date for July 2021). The fall in the number of transactions for the period March 2020 to August 2020 is clearly visible. However, what is also clearly demonstrated is that the number of sales for each month from September 2020 to March 2021 has surpassed that of the same month in the previous six years.
In addition, the spike in sales that took place in March 2021 – as the tax holiday expiry date approached – is plain, although this total was exceeded by the volume of sales in October and November 2020, when monthly sales during the pandemic reached their peak. Also clear is the fall in sales in April 2021 to levels below those in all previous years except for 2016 and 2020, indicating the extent to which buyers had managed to bring forward their purchases into March 2021 to take advantage of the tax holiday.
For the record, the peak in sales in March 2016 was also tax-related, and came one month ahead of the introduction of the then 3% LBTT surcharge (now 4%) on second homes and buy-to-let properties, which tax was pre-announced to commence from April 2016.
Sales volumes for the period from April 2021 to June 2021 no longer exceed those of previous years, and appear to be roughly on a par with the levels seen in 2018. We will await the “Date of Entry” data for July 2021 before making a comment on this latest month.
Comparing total sales in 2020 with those of 2019, there was a 14% fall in the overall size of the market. However, looking at the number of transactions for the first six months of 2021 and comparing with the same period in 2019 (2020 figures are distorted by the lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic), sales are up by 11%, although this does include the spike in March 2021, which will have enhanced the 2021 figures.
Scotland transactions of £750k or higher
Table 2 shows the number of transactions per month in Scotland which are equal to or greater than £750k. The threshold of £750k has been selected as it is the breakpoint at which the highest rate of LBTT becomes payable.
Table 2 shows that there have been 537 sales in excess of £750k during the first seven months of 2021. This total is greater than the first seven months of each of the previous six years, beating the 363 transactions seen in 2015 – which had the second highest total to the end of July – by some 174 sales. Clearly the expectation for the whole twelve months of 2021 is that high-value sales will be far in excess of all previous years.
The reasons for this dramatic increase in top-end sales in 2021 are, as previously discussed, partly to do with the change in preference for larger properties. But additionally we should mention the record low interest rates, which make the purchase of a top-end property more affordable, as well as the tax savings associated with the LBTT holiday, which encouraged the whole market to be more adventurous in its outlook.
There are perhaps two other features of interest that can be observed in Table 2. The first, also previously mentioned, is that sales of high-value properties in June 2021 exceeded those of March 2021, despite the earlier month having the advantage of the tax holiday. The second is that in every month in 2021 (except March) the number of high-value sales has exceeded those of the same month in the previous six years.
Perhaps while discussing high value homes we should also point out that one tends to get more “bang for one’s buck” in Scotland than in England. For example, the recent purchase of a £1 million home in the Scottish Borders included 5 bedrooms, 2.8 acres of garden grounds and 5 acres of grazing paddock. In London £1 million will, in some boroughs, enable you to purchase a three bedroomed Victorian terrace, with minimal garden space. It is therefore little wonder that some Londoners are looking to move to Scotland, if the workplace allows.
Local Authority Analysis
Annual change
The average house price in Scotland has increased by some £20,550 – or 11.0% – over the last twelve months, to the end of July. This is 2.5% higher than the 8.5% recorded one month earlier, and comes as something of a surprise, given that the annual rate had been slowing over the previous three months from a high in March 2021 of 11.4%. We had assumed that since the ending of the LBTT holiday in March 2021 prices would begin to fall gently, but it would appear that the shift in housing preferences for larger properties – with space for home working – rather than commuting to places of work, continues to affect the current housing market.
In July 2021, all bar one of the 32 local authorities in Scotland have seen their average prices rise over the previous twelve months – the one authority not to have done so being Na h-Eileanan Siar, where only 25 sales took place in July 2020. The Scottish government were discouraging house buyers from visiting the Islands during the early stages of the pandemic – so average prices on the Islands were subject to dramatic change, due to the low numbers of transactions involved.
On the mainland, the highest annual July increase in prices occurred in the Scottish Borders, up by 23.2%. In the Scottish Borders, all property types have seen prices rise over the last year, with the largest increase being in detached homes, up from an average £285k in July 2020 to £370k one year later. The rise in average prices in July 2021 has been helped by the sale of six properties in excess of £750k, compared to 11 such properties being sold during the whole of 2020.
Monthly change
In July 2021, Scotland’s average house price rose by some £5,950, or 2.9%, and now stands at £207,877. This rise is the largest gain in a single month since the £15,316 increase seen in March 2015, immediately prior to the introduction of the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT), which came into force in Scotland on 1 April 2015.
Prices rose in July 2021 in 28 of the 32 Local Authority areas in Scotland, indicating a near universal increase in prices across the country. The largest increase in July, of 9.9%, was seen in the Orkney Islands – but this was a reflection of the small number of transactions that took place on the Islands, with low sales volumes (32 in July) often being associated with high percentage changes in average prices.
On a weight-adjusted basis, which takes into account both the increase in average price and the number of transactions involved, 5 local authority areas in July were responsible for 52% of the positive movement in Scotland’s average house price. The five areas concerned, in order of influence, were Glasgow City, the City of Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, East Lothian and South Lanarkshire.
Some analysts have been suggesting that, in the pandemic, it is isolated rural areas that have benefitted most from the lifestyle changes associated with the move to “work from home”. However, looking at the five authorities identified as having the most influence on the price change in July, one would not necessarily draw this conclusion. It would appear that the two largest cities in Scotland are responsible for the movement of over half the change in average house prices, either in their own right, or through their influence over their major commuting hinterlands.
Meanwhile, the Highland local authority area, which one might assume is mostly rural by disposition and should therefore be attracting new residents, has seen its average house price fall by -0.5% in July. As we reported last month, all property types in the Highland area have seen prices fall, with the price of terraces dropping from £155k in June to £134k in July. There has also been a decline in the number of detached properties sold in the month. For example, in the Highland area in March 2021 there were 171 detached properties sold in the month, contrasting with 84 detached homes being sold there in July.
Peak Prices
Each month, in Table 3 above, we highlight in light blue the local authority areas which have reached a new record in their average house prices. In July there are 12 such authorities, up from 4 local authorities in June, as well as Scotland’s own average price, which has also reached a new record level.
Heat Map
The heat map below shows the rate of house price growth for the 12 months ending July 2021. All bar one of the 32 local authority areas are reporting an increase in their housing values over the last year, the exception being Na h-Eileanan Siar.
One in eight adult children who live with their parents could spend half their life living with mum and dad
One in eight (13%) adults that have always lived with their parents are aged 35-55+. That means people are spending almost half of their expected lifespans (81 years) if not longer living with their parents
Of those aged 35+ that live with their parents, 40% have never moved out
Over a third (37%) of adult children living at home don’t expect to move out in the near future
This could be costing parents a fortune – over half (55%) of parents with adult children living at home said they cover additional costs because of this. On average parents are spending £117 per child each month
It’s well documented that more grown-up children are now choosing to live at home with their parents for longer4. Now, new research from SpareRoom reveals just how much longer that could be: almost half of their lives – if not more.
One in eight (13%) of those who have always lived with their parents are aged 35 to 55+. Currently the average life expectancy in the UK is 81 years. That means people in their mid-to-late thirties have lived with their parents for nearly half of their expected lifespans – while those over 55 have spent more than two thirds (68%) of their lives under their parents rooves.
Furthermore, of all of those surveyed aged 35 – 55+, 40% have never moved out of the family home5.
Astonishingly, one in two (50%) adult children who currently live at home have never moved out. What’s more, 37% don’t expect to move out within the next six months, with the likelihood of moving out decreasing after the age of 25.
Whilst living at home and spending time with family is seen (by most) as a positive bonding experience, it has an impact on important milestones outside of the family home for children, not to mention the cost implications for parents.
The majority (55%) of parents with adult children living at home cover extra expenses because of this, with the average parent being out of pocket by £117 per child each month.
The bank of mum and dad, now also known as the hotel of mum and dad, helps pay for their adult children’s food (64%), clothes (36%), fuel (25%) and even ‘pocket money’ for them to socialise with their friends (25%) while they’re living at home.
Many parents also paid for their subscriptions (20%) and holidays (23%). Covering mental health and therapy (12%) costs were also on the list of expenditures for parents.
Miriam Tierney, SpareRoom spokesperson comments: “We’ve known for some time that the number of adults living at home with their parents has been rising. The main factor driving that is how expensive housing is, regardless of whether you’re renting or buying. What hasn’t been clear, until now, is just how much of their lives people could be spending in the family home.
“There are, of course, plenty of positives to multi-generational living and in many countries and cultures it’s the norm. However, in the UK the trend is clearly being driven by the housing crisis rather than choice and it’s restricting career and social opportunities for a whole generation.”
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.
Proposals for an exciting new residential development at New Mart Road, Chesser, have been announced today, creating a new urban quarter.
Watkin Jones Group, a leading developer and manager of homes for rent, has revealed proposals to redevelop land to the rear of the Corn Exchange, 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 affordable homes, as well as managed student accommodation, forming a mixed-tenure urban residential village. This forms part of an overall regeneration of the brownfield site following the recent acquisition of the Corn Exchange building concert venue by the Academy Music Group, to be called the O2 Academy Edinburgh.
Completing the work in 2025, should planning permission be given, the regeneration of this brownfield site – formerly comprising a mix of listed and unlisted buildings originally used as an auction mart and livestock sheds – will seek to retain the character and elements of the buildings. This will ensure their long-term viable future, all of which is considered in the creation of community spaces and public realm within the proposed scheme.
The World of Football and World of Bowling have provided a suitable uses and adaptation of the former auction mart buildings and livestock sheds for over 22 years, however their condition currently requires considerable investment on an ongoing basis.
To bring the buildings up to standard is a continual test, burden and cost for the business. Investment in recent state of the art facilities such as World of Football at Marine Drive show that they can provide far more viable spaces without the ongoing cost and environmental impact that old out of date buildings unfortunately provide.
The BTR apartments will comprise a mix of studios, one bedroom, two bedroom and three-bedroom flats. Within the building it is proposed there are areas of communal amenity such as working from home and study space, a communal lounge, exercise facilities, management suite and reception, bike storage and large shared kitchen.
Student bed spaces are proposed as a mix of studio and cluster rooms each with their own ensuite. This will also have a range of communal amenity spaces, bike storage, management suite and reception areas.
Reflecting the heritage of the site, a significant proportion of the former livestock shed frames will be retained and incorporated into the overall development. There will also be a variety of external high-quality communal spaces. The development is proposed as a car free scheme with parking limited to accessible parking only and maximising the good quality public transport and active travel links to the site.
Each of the key areas of public realm and open space will be given an identity as part of the overall masterplan, reflecting the history of the site, including a large central public square. This will form a connection between the proposed development and the O2 Academy Edinburgh
It is envisaged that the public square will be used by performing arts groups; farmers markets; leisure square gatherings and as an urban gathering space for residents.
The central square is adjacent to a series of smaller walled gardens and routes that link the more private series of residential courtyards. These smaller courtyards are connected by a grouping of pends, footpaths and tree lined boulevards.
The developer has formally submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to City of Edinburgh Council, informing it that it intends to submit a planning application for the development following a minimum 12-week consultation period.
Watkin Jones Group has undertaken major BTR schemes throughout the UK, completing its first purpose-built scheme in Leeds in 2016.
It has extensive experience of working in Edinburgh, investing extensively in the city over the last 10 years. Over the period it has developed a total of ten purpose-built student accommodation schemes, equating to 2,861 student homes.
A notable example is the award-winning Sugarhouse Close development, which was completed in the summer of 2012. The development is accessed from the Royal Mile and located within the World Heritage Site, demonstrating that the Group have first-hand experience delivering a high-quality scheme in a historically sensitive location.
Watkin Jones Group is also currently progressing a mixed tenure residential development at Iona Street in Edinburgh, for which planning permission was granted in March of this year. This development comprises over 200 managed student homes, 60 residential apartments and 20 affordable homes and will be completed in 2023. In addition, the Group is delivering 645 managed student homes on Westfield Road and Gorgie Road which will be completing in 2022.
Iain Smith, Planning Director for Watkin Jones, commented: “We’re thrilled to be announcing our exciting scheme for this new urban quarter at Chesser, creating a thriving and diverse community as part of an overall redevelopment of the area. The site is in a highly sustainable location with excellent access to amenities and transport links and will be built to future-proofed high environmental standards.
“Maintaining the strong heritage of the site is a feature of the development and our intention is to retain the character of the buildings where we can, ensuring their long-term viable future, with the creation of some fantastic public squares, each with their own distinct identity.
“These proposals will greatly assist in the regeneration of this part of the city and we are consulting extensively to ensure that people from across the local area have an opportunity to input their views and shape our ambitious proposals.”
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.
The Children’s Commissioners of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have repeated their calls to the UK Government to end its two-child limit on Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit warning that the policy continues to violate children’s human rights.
All three have also called on the UK Government to abandon the scrapping of the £20 uplift, which would compound the poverty issues facing children across the nations, and urge the prioritisation of children’s rights in any further changes to Universal Credit.
Giving evidence yesterday (Wednesday, September 8) to the Public Services Committee at the House of Lords, the Commissioners again pointed out that the two-child limit policy – which disallows benefits payments to third and subsequent children born after April 2017 in most circumstances – is a discriminatory policy contrary to the government’s obligations under the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland said: “We remain deeply concerned that the two-child policy and the scrapping of the £20 uplift breaches childen’s rights to an adequate standard of living and is contributing to a rising gap in poverty levels between families with three or more children and smaller households.
“The two-child limit in particular has a disproportionate impact on social groups where larger families are more common, such as some minority faith and ethnic groups and in Northern Ireland where families are larger than the rest of the UK.”
The Commissioners – Bruce Adamson for Scotland, Sally Holland for Wales, and Koulla Yiasouma for Northern Ireland – remain concerned that UK benefit rules prevent devolved governments from fully tackling child poverty.
Speaking after the Committee session, Children and Young People’s Commissioner for Scotland, Bruce Adamson said: “The Scottish Government had an opportunity yesterday within the Programme for Government to do all that it can to mitigate against the worse of the UK Government’s benefit rules.
“While new commitments on housing, food and the new Whole Family Wellbeing Fund are welcome, not increasing the Scottish Child Payment with immediate effect was hugely concerning as children need this money now.
“Poverty is a human rights issue and while UK benefit rules continue to play a significant part in keeping families in poverty, the Scottish Government plays an important role in ensuring children’s rights are met. The effects of the pandemic – which are still becoming clear – have only served to make a dire situation worse for those in poverty or only just getting by. Both governments must do more.”
Commissioner Sally Holland said: “Children are hungry and living in sub-standard housing in the UK in 2021 and that is a disgrace. Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life, from their health – both physical and mental – to their education. How can a child concentrate properly at school and learn if they are hungry?
“The State has an obligation to children and every child has the right to an adequate standard of living. Families have a right to social security. These polices are a clear breach of children’s human rights.”
In May, the Children’s Commissioners of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland wrote an open letter to the Right Honourable Thérèse Coffey, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, calling for an end to the two-child limit of Universal Credit and Child Tax Credit and for the £20 uplift in universal credit amounts to be maintained.
At the height of the pandemic the UK would come together at 8pm on a Thursday evening to clap for the NHS. Many asked if there were more tangible ways that the country could thank these frontline heroes – and in response Edinburgh’s leading Letting Agent Clan Gordon is launching a free Letting Package for key workers, including all NHS and 999 staff and the Armed Forces.
The past year has seen the world as we know it shift to an almost unrecognisable extent, with the NHS, Armed Forces and 999 staff at the forefront of keeping people safe.
As a thank you to those who went above and beyond during the pandemic Edinburgh based Letting Agent Clan Gordon is offering all NHS and 999 staff and those serving in the Armed Forces, the opportunity to put a property on the Edinburgh rental market completely free of charge.
Jonathan Gordon, Managing Director, Clan Gordon, said: “Everyone has been affected by Covid-19 in some way and we recognise the huge part that front line workers played during the pandemic.
“With the latest news that the Government’s 3% pay rise for nursing staff is way short of what was expected after the overwhelming demands of the pandemic, we wanted to offer something to support those who went above and beyond.
“To say thank you to these heroes we want to help them to make letting their property as accessible and easy as possible and are very proud to launch this new Letting Package. The exclusive package will enable front line workers from the NHS, those supporting 999 calls and the Armed Forces to put a property onto the rental market with the support of our professional property managers, at no cost.”
The new Letting Package will enable NHS and 999 staff and the Armed Forces to let their property via the Clan Gordon ARLA regulated agency, free of charge. The offer includes all marketing fees, set up costs, a virtual tour, and photographs, saving £210.
To find out more about the Letting Package schedule a call by visiting www.clangordon.co.uk
Lothian MSP and Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater has hailed the party’s influence on the Scottish Government programme for the year ahead.
The First Minister laid out an agenda heavily influenced by the Scottish Greens, in her first programme for government. This follows the historic cooperation agreement between the two parties.
The transformational programme will see the Greens in government for the first time; benefiting communities across Edinburgh by laying the foundations for a just transition to a low carbon economy, securing a new deal for tenants, increasing funding for home energy schemes and tackling fuel poverty.
Lothian MSP and Scottish Greens co-leader, Lorna Slater, said: “This is a historic programme for government that will deliver huge benefits for communities in Edinburgh.”
“The investment announced today will allow us to begin the work of improving the energy efficiency of public buildings, an important measure as we bid to tackle the climate emergency, end fuel poverty and reduce energy bills.
“This bold and ambitious programme for government paves the way for a just transition for workers by creating jobs too, as we move to a renewables powered future.
“I’m particularly proud of our new deal for tenants. This programme commits us to delivering a new strategy within the next year which will ensure stronger rights and include a system of rent controls to tackle the spiralling costs for those renting a home in Edinburgh.”
If, following the public consultation, the Council gives the go ahead and the proposal is approved by the Scottish Government, the new powers would mean all residential properties, which are not an owner’s principle home, being let as STLs in their totality throughout the local authority area would require approval of a ‘change of use’ to a STL from Planning.
Around a third of STLs in Scotland are in Edinburgh. At the moment, in addition to planning applications made for STLs, to establish whether or not planning permission is required for properties where this is disputed, the Council’s enforcement team looks at each case individually, which is a very lengthy and time consuming process.
The introduction of powers to make a control area, follows the Council calling for new legislation to tighten up the control of STLs to help manage high concentrations of secondary letting where it affects the availability of residential housing or the character of a neighbourhood.
Also, it will help to restrict or prevent STLs in places or types of buildings where they are not appropriate as well as making sure homes are used to best effect in their areas.
Generally renting out a room/s in your house or letting your property whilst on holiday would also still be allowed if Edinburgh became a STL control zone.
The Scottish Government is currently consulting on legislation to introduce a new licensing regime next year, which the Council also called for, to address the issues of safety, anti-social behaviour and noise. These issues have all had a detrimental effect on communities as the number of STLs has greatly increased across the city in recent years.
The proposal is that all Scottish councils will have to adopt a STL licensing system by October 2022. In terms of the Government’s proposed new licensing regime, if Edinburgh becomes a control area it will be a mandatory condition of any licensing application to have made a planning application or to have planning permission already when providing accommodation that requires it.
Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “We’ve worked hard calling for greater controls for short term lets and so it’s great we’re now asking for your views on the whole city becoming a control area.
“This is a positive step forward as Edinburgh has almost a third of all STLs in Scotland and so we need to take action. They’re putting pressure on house prices and rents and taking houses out of supply as well as causing issues such as anti-social behaviour and the hollowing out of communities.
“We’re really keen to hear views from residents in all communities across the city and the industry and we’ll carefully consider all of the feedback you give us before the proposal is finalised as the impact of STLs can be felt in communities across Edinburgh.”
Councillor Maureen Child, Planning Vice-Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “If we do proceed with this approach and it’s approved by the Scottish Government, we’ll be better able to manage the number of STLs in the city.
“Many properties being let out in a control area would automatically require to have ‘change of use’ planning permission in place and I’m pleased the Scottish Government is also proposing that when people apply for a licence we can ask for evidence of that.”
