Chris Preston and Fiona Ingleby had been living in London, working in the City while enjoying their weekends being active outdoors.
The frustrations of an older property and staying in a busy area eventually got to them, so to be closer to nature, the couple decided to move to Fiona’s home country, Scotland, choosing Barratt’s Preston Square development near Edinburgh.
Fiona said: “Our first house in London wasn’t right for us. It was quite old, so there always seemed to be something that needed to be fixed and the area surrounding it became very built up and busy.
“We soon decided we wanted to live somewhere nearer to open space that we could enjoy. We did quite a lot of research online and chose Edinburgh, as it ticked those boxes, allowing us to continue our careers and be closer to family.”
“Preston Square was in the ideal location and perfectly positioned, with green space on one side of it, and commuter, bus and train links to Edinburgh on the other. We also liked that it was quite small, but with considered green spaces and well-sized gardens,” said Chris.
However, with Covid-19 travel restrictions in place, there was little chance for Chris and Fiona to view the property in person.
“Our buying process was a bit unusual. Due to travel restrictions, as well as living in London and buying in Scotland, it meant we couldn’t view the development in person.”
“Despite this, Zoe, the sales advisor met with us on a video call, and walked us through the development, showing us the estate and the plot we were interested in. She also sent through extra plans and photos, as well as arranging for physical samples of carpet to reach us.
“The sales and marketing team really made everything possible – Zoe was so helpful and gave us the confidence to go through with the purchase in the middle of the pandemic,” added Fiona.
Chris and Fiona chose a ‘Fenton’ house-type at Preston Square, a four-bedroom detached home, first visiting it on completion day. The home’s open-plan fitted kitchen and dining area provide access to the rear garden, benefitting from a separate utility room and downstairs WC. The Fenton also comes with an integral garage providing added convenience and security.
Fiona said: “Despite the unusual viewing and purchasing process, our experience of buying with Barratt was very different to the stress of when we bought our first house, which involved a lot of uncertainty of bidding through an estate agent.
“We’d recommend buying with Barratt to anyone. The house is a perfect blank canvas – everything is neatly but neutrally finished, easy enough to personalise it and make it feel like home very quickly. It’s also great to have solar panels allowing us to be more environmentally friendly.”
When asked if they had any plans now they had more room, the couple said: “We’re in the process of setting up one of the bedrooms as an office. It’s lovely to have the space to be able to do this properly now as it used to be very difficult not to be able to keep home working separate from everything else.
“We’re also thinking about getting a dog but not quite there yet. We’ve always wanted one, but before we felt like we didn’t have enough space or good enough walks nearby to be able to care for one properly – we’re in a much better position now.”
Preston Square is now sold out but Barratt East Scotland continues to offer several developments close to Edinburgh including, Barratt @ St Clements Wells, St Clements View, Yew Gardens and The Strand @ Portobello.
All feature easy commuting links to Edinburgh city centre and a range of local amenities, with sales centres and show homes open by appointment.
Two-hundred and fifty households are now in mid-market rent accommodation, thanks to the Council’s mid-market rent partnership, Edinburgh Living.
Edinburgh Living, the City of Edinburgh Council’s mid-market rent partnership, is celebrating hitting a key milestone with more than 250 families now in quality affordable homes thanks to the initiative, developed in partnership with infrastructure experts, Scottish Futures Trust.
Now in eight sites across the city, Edinburgh Living’s 250th tenant moved into their new home in Craigmillar last month.
Let and managed by Lowther Homes, part of Wheatley Group, Edinburgh Living has also launched its new website this week which will provide information about the initiative and help more individuals and families find their new home through links to what homes are available and what is coming soon.
Danielle Beatson, 42, who has recently moved into a three-bedroom home with her partner and three children, said: “We love our new home; it’s in the perfect area and is so spacious. The community is great; it’s a really family-friendly area, and my children are often outside playing with friends.
The home has made a big difference to Danielle’s life: “Our landlord was selling the home we were renting and we were struggling to find another suitable property at short notice. Mid-market rent was a fantastic, affordable option for us. The application process was simple, and we were able to move in quickly after applying.
“We feel so settled and secure now; my partner and I are really happy, and so are the kids, which is brilliant.”
Launched in Jan 2019, supported by the Scottish Government, the Council set up Edinburgh Living to address the lack of affordable housing available in Edinburgh by offering mid-market rent homes to households on low to middle incomes that were struggling to access property, either to purchase or rent, on the open market.
The initiative is also supporting homelessness prevention, working together with Council services and Lowther Homes to raise the profile of mid-market rent as an option for lower income households at risk of homelessness.
The Council and Scottish Futures Trust have strong ambitions to continue to grow Edinburgh Living, with an acquisition target of 500 homes by the end of 2022, and the long-term aim to provide 1,500 new mid-market rent and market rent homes over the next few years.
The Council is proactively identifying more homes to achieve this ambition, delivering well-built, well-managed and energy efficient new homes through its own housebuilding programme.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener said:“Hitting this big milestone and now having 250 family households in safe, warm and affordable homes, with more homes being identified to double that figure by the end of next year is just fantastic.
“Also hearing what a difference these bright and modern homes are making to people’s lives is the reason we started this programme in the first place.
“Making sure everyone has access to an affordable and energy efficient place to live has long been our priority. We have ambitious plans to grow the number of properties we own which we’ll do by purchasing homes, and by building homes through own housing development programme, delivering 20,000 affordable homes by 2027.
“As a Council we’re also committed to ending poverty, becoming more sustainable, while helping to foster greater wellbeing and inclusion, and so Edinburgh Living is just one of the ways we’re doing that for our residents and the city of Edinburgh.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice-Convener, added: “It’s a real joy to have families moving in and settling into their new homes through Edinburgh Living. And it’s great to see the new website provide more information about the partnership and signpost those looking for a mid-market rent home to what is currently available and under construction.
“We now have homes in eight locations which puts Edinburgh Living homes in three quarters of the city. These homes provide quality, stable accommodation to families, improving the diversity of communities and helping with the regeneration of parts of Edinburgh.”
Christa Reekie, director Development and Housing at the Scottish Futures Trust, said:“As infrastructure experts, we’re always looking for new and collaborative ways to maximise the delivery of affordable housing and boost the impact they have in communities right across Scotland.
“Edinburgh Living is a case in point – a joint venture that is working towards the delivery of 1,500 much-needed, affordable and market rent homes in Edinburgh. Today’s milestone marks a significant step in the programme that is now benefitting 250 families and is increasing the supply of high quality, energy efficient homes for many years to come.”
Heather Voisey, Lowther Homes Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted to mark this important milestone in our partnership with Edinburgh Living.
“Mid-market rent flats offer much-needed affordable housing in sought-after locations, and it’s great to see the 250th tenant move in. We look forward to continuing to let and manage affordable Edinburgh Living homes across the city.”
Edinburgh Living has homes across eight locations in Edinburgh: Clermiston, Hailesland, Pennywell, Greendykes, North Sighthill, Royston, Dumbryden and Craigmillar.
AN INDEPENDENT housebuilder has launched a new block of apartments at its flagship development in West Lothian, bringing its final three flats to market.
Located just outside Livingston, Dundas Estates’ Uphall Station Village is now into its second phase, providing househunters with a selection of two-bedroom apartments priced from £174,495.
Offering buyers the ultimate contemporary lifestyle, each flat boasts a large kitchen and dining spaces fitted with top of the range SMEG appliances, and Porcelanosa tiling and vanity furniture in bathrooms and en suites.
The award-winning developer saw the first block of apartments in the development’s phase one prove extremely popular.
Uphall Station Village Sales Negotiator, Janice Gemmell, said: “Uphall Station is set in an ideal location for those looking for some space outside the city, with all of the perks of the countryside but just 20 minutes from Edinburgh by train.
“The first phase of the development was popular with a range of buyers – everyone from first time buyers and families to young couples and commuters – and we anticipate this phase will be equally as sought-after.
“We have already seen a surge of interest in the new release and would urge anyone interested in a one or two-bedroom apartment to get in touch with our team as soon as possible.”
Uphall Station Village is situated just 15-minutes outside Edinburgh, with a regular service from the nearby Uphall train for commuters.
The development is surrounded by woodlands and countryside, and has two wildlife areas within its boundaries, perfect for walkers, cyclists and runners. Livingston also benefits from more than 100 miles of shared use paths and cycle networks.
Buyers at Uphall Station Village will benefit from a dedicated community hub, a space exclusively for residents to use however they wish – from parties and exercise classes to local parent and toddler groups.
There are also a number of primary and secondary schools in the local area, and Pumpeherston Golf Course and Xcite Leisure Centre are both a short walk from the development.
Uphall Station Village is a small, family-friendly community near Livingston, featuring quiet neighbourhoods and connectivity with nearby towns, cities and countryside.
The development consists of 266 homes in total, and launched in spring 2018 with two showhomes designed by interior designer Eileen Kesson at Envision.
Dundas Estates is a multi-award winning, independent, Scottish housebuilder with a track record of building well-designed homes. The developer is committed to creating welcoming, integrated communities, and making the journey of buying a home more straightforward, inspiring and fun.
To learn more about Uphall Station Village, call 0345 853 5007 or visit:
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.”
In just over a year, more than 300 households living in the private rented sector have been prevented from becoming homeless thanks to city council’s Crisis-run Private Rented Service Team (PRS).
Established in November 2019 in response to a growing number of homeless presentations from the private rented sector, the Private Rented Service (PRS) Team has assisted 324 households since March 2020. This has been done by helping them to keep their existing tenancy or to move to either a new private or mid-market rent secure tenancy.
Edinburgh Help to Rent, which is a service the Council contracts Crisis to deliver, does this by providing rent deposit guarantee bonds. It has provided 50 households with a bond to access properties in the private rented sector since February 2020.
This comes as part of a wider update on the City of Edinburgh Council’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP), a comprehensive strategy to tackle and eradicate homelessness across the city over the next five years, that was presented at the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee this month.
The Council has made significant investment, complemented by Scottish Government funding, to deliver the Plan, which is focused on providing:
suitable temporary accommodation for the needs of households;
supporting people into settled accommodation as quickly as possible;
reducing the number of people sleeping rough on our streets; and overall preventing homelessness in the first place.
The RRPT sets out all the different approaches that are key to tackling a wide range of issues faced by people across the Capital.
Alongside the PRS Team, a team has been set up to provide a ‘multi-disciplinary response’ pilot for Council tenants who are struggling to maintain their tenancy or who are falling into rent arrears.
This multi-agency approach across the Council aims to reach out to our tenants who may not engage with their locality Housing Officer, to offer joined-up support and enhanced engagement to help keep the tenant in their home and so avoiding homelessness.
Learning from a similar successful innovative programme by Newcastle City Council, this brings together representatives from key Council services including housing, homelessness, advice services, family & household support, adult protection and children and families social work services into one cross-Council response group.
Established as recently as February 2021, since March this year the team has positively engaged 16 (84%) of 19 tenants referred to the team. A further 14 have since been referred and attempts are being made to contact them and offer support.
The Homelessness Transformational Prevention Programme complements the RRTP. Through this programme the Council has recruited 28 additional officers to trial new ways of working that will prevent homelessness in the first place.
When a permanent home can’t be found immediately, the team will continue helping people to access settled housing more quickly, thereby reducing the number of households in temporary accommodation. Through joint funding by the Council and Scottish Government, the RRTP has made this investment possible.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said:“With the severe pressure on housing in Edinburgh, we need to take every possible step we can to tackle homelessness in our city.
“That includes stepping up work on prevention, improving temporary accommodation, making sure that there is support in place for anyone experiencing homelessness, ending rough sleeping and finding as many ways as possible to help people resolve homelessness. The Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan sets out all the different initiatives we’ve put in place to do that.
“This has to start with preventing homelessness wherever possible, so I’m glad that both the PRS Team and the multi-disciplinary response team are working so well. Preventing 300 households from becoming homeless in a year is phenomenal and it shows the real value of the RRTP supporting innovation and new ways of working. This funding from the Scottish Government allows us to try out new services, and where they are successful we can continue, and look to expand them.
“This is more important than ever as we start to see the economic repercussions from the pandemic and expect an increase in homeless presentations.
“The RRTP is a comprehensive plan that sets out all of these new services and innovative ways that we are supporting people to create better outcomes for individuals, and work towards ending homelessness in our city.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee said:“Being homeless can be a horrible experience for people and finding better ways to prevent it is an incredibly important part of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan.
“Working with registered social landlords and partner organisations like Crisis has already made a big difference to the numbers of people ending up homeless.
“As we come out of the Covid-19 emergency measures, the need for this service is likely to increase significantly and we’ll be relying on our dedicated prevention team to play an even bigger role in our efforts to end homelessness in Edinburgh.”
Independent local support is available if you are experiencing housing/debt problems. Contact Granton Information Centre by email at info@gic.org.uk or telephone 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458.
Triple Point Social Housing REIT has announced that work has completed on its major new development in Leith, which provides high-quality new homes for local people with long-term disabilities.
In April 2019, Triple Point announced its investment in the scheme, developed by HB Villages (HBV), with construction officially started by Deidre Brock, the MP for Edinburgh North and Leith.
Twenty-four new supported housing apartments have been built on West Bowling Green Street in Leith, which are specially adapted to provide long-term homes for people with physical disabilities, learning disabilities and other complex care requirements.
Residents will be referred to the scheme by the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership based on significant local need, with care provided to residents by Lifeways, and housing management services provided by Inclusion Housing.
The £5.4m scheme, called Heron Court, is the first of its type in Scotland and has been developed by HBV, a specialist supported living developer, using funding from Triple Point.
The developers instructed an all-Scottish construction team including Edinburgh-based architects 56Three, structural and civil engineers Curtins, locally-based mechanical and electrical consultants Horizon M&E, and Alloa-based contractor Marshall Construction.
Triple Point uses private capital to acquire, or fund the development of, newly built or newly renovated housing in the community for people with long-term care needs whose rent is funded by government.
This type of housing has been shown to improve the wellbeing of people moving out of institutional care settings, while saving the government money. Triple Point’s portfolio has over 450 properties providing homes for over 3,000 residents.
Based on strong demand, Triple Point is looking to invest in more supported housing schemes like Heron Court across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
Max Shenkman, Head of Property Investment at Triple Point, said: “We are delighted to announce the completion of Heron Court. The development will allow people with disabilities and complex care needs to live independent lives in high-quality and carefully adapted apartments.
“Triple Point is committed to investing in projects that deliver a positive social impact, and Heron Court will provide homes in the heart of the community to support some of Edinburgh’s most vulnerable people. With more Scottish developments in the pipeline, we look forward to delivering further positive impact in the area.”
Oliver Carroll, development director of HBV, the supported living developer, said: “We are delighted to complete delivery of this special scheme in the heart of the community.
“We have had tremendous support from officers at Edinburgh City Council who are responsible for delivering specialist supported care across the city. Everyone we have worked with on delivering Heron Court recognises the need for modern specialist supported living accommodation for Scotland’s most vulnerable people.
“We are tremendously excited by all the interest that is being shown in this particular scheme and we are already progressing discussions with other local authorities and funding partners to deliver more like it in Scotland.”
Judith Proctor, Chief Officer of the Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, said:“The completion of this scheme – less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre and less than two years after works began – is a remarkable achievement and a great example of collaboration between the public and private sectors.
“Accessibility and technology are two important features of the design of the building which will enable residents to live more independently. Many of the residents will have keys to their own front door for the first time which will be a tremendous boost to their independence and a positive impact on their lives.”
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said:“This is a brilliant example of a new-build development that blends seamlessly into the surrounding environment and community not just physically but emotionally as well.
“It is important that we continue to place great emphasis on solving the housing requirements of people in Edinburgh who need extra support and give them the opportunity to live as independently as possible.”
Deidre Brock, MP, who officially started works at the site in 2019, said:“The completion of this development is another important step towards ensuring the most vulnerable in our society are well looked after in accommodation that properly suits their needs.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing folk move into the scheme over the next few months and making their home here in Leith.”
Development managers Bankfoot APAM have announced a consultation on plans to transform The Gyle shopping centre into a new ‘town centre’.The proposals are a radical departure from previous plans to extend the centre.
The Gyle was originally opened in 1993 after an investment of £68million. It quickly became one of the most successful shopping destinations in the east of Scotland and was extended soon after.
Previous owners had brought forward plans for small extensions for new retail units and a cinema, but these were rejected last year by the City Council.
Options now include a fully refreshed and enhanced retail offer, major new housing and office space on a site that has some of the best public transport links in Scotland and in an area (west Edinburgh) where up to 18,000 new homes are already planned.
The concept is to create a new town centre where people will live, work, shop and enjoy their leisure time in one of the most sustainable communities in Scotland.
The initial ideas reflect the fact that whilst The Gyle was once at the fringe of Edinburgh, it is now at the heart of one of Scotland’s fastest growing residential and commercial districts.
The options being consulted on include:
A new community in which people can live, work, shop, rest and play within easy reach of the city centre and countryside
A renewed and revitalised retail offer with enhanced facilities for click and collect, home delivery and other services
New homes for families and professionals that bring people to live more closely to their jobs to encourage more public transport use, cycling, and walking
A new east/west ‘green link’ that provides better and safer walking and cycling facilities and new public green space
Improved access to the existing Tram, Bus and Rail services that run through and around The Gyle
Chris Moore, Managing Director at Bankfoot APAM, said: “When the Gyle was built it was a leading modern shopping destination. However, we are now looking at a new normal that is very different for shopping and living.
“The creation of a new urban city district will help transform the visitor experience and bring many more new residents, workers and customers to the shops and facilities.
“Increasingly people will travel by public transport and the facilities need to reflect that new normal. We have seen the changes that the new St James development in the city centre is making to people’s shopping experience and our aim is to deliver better and higher quality shopping, rather than just increasing floorspace. We have also studied the quality of the proposals for new homes and offices at the nearby Edinburgh Park.
“Edinburgh is changing, and west Edinburgh is changing faster than almost anywhere in Scotland and our plans must reflect sustainability issues and respond positively to those changes. Looking ahead we should consider how best to serve our customers and meet their growing concerns about the environment. A more balanced community is what is proving to work best.
“We will be consulting local residents and communities on our new vision in the near future, and we look forward to starting the regeneration and revitalisation of The Gyle in a way that makes it an even more special place for many more people. The Gyle can again be one of the finest shopping destinations in the country, but our ambition is to make it one of the finest places to live, work and play as well.”
The concept is to create a new town centre where people will live, work, shop and enjoy leisure time, all in one of the most sustainable communities in Scotland.
The plans also include a new east and west ‘green link’ for safer walking and cycling facilities, along with more public green space, as well as improved access to the tram, bus and rail services that run through and around The Gyle.
Speech by the Social Justice Secretary, Shona Robison, opening yesterday’s Tackling Poverty and Building A Fairer Country debate
Presiding Officer, I am pleased to open this debate on the urgent need for us to tackle poverty and build a fairer, more equal country.
We must seize the opportunity, build upon our strong efforts to date, and use every lever at our disposal to bring about the change needed to tackle this problem.
We already invest around £2 billion each year in support for people on low incomes, including over £672 million targeted at children. We have a strong focus on those at greatest disadvantage, including disabled people. And we are supporting innovative action with our £50 million Tackling Child Poverty Fund.
But we must do more. That is why we have committed a wide range of ambitious action to be delivered in the first 100 days of this Parliament – maintaining the tremendous pace taken of change throughout the COVID pandemic.
This is a priority across all Ministerial portfolios. No one action will bring about the change needed, it needs all parts of government and broader society to work together and to impact the drivers of poverty reduction – increasing household incomes from work, reducing costs on essentials and maximising incomes from social security.
The eradication of poverty and building a fairer more equal country must be a national mission for government, for our parliament and for our society. We must try, where possible, to unite on this issue and work together to create a fairer Scotland.
Backed by over £1 billion of additional funding, our response to the pandemic shows that we can make change happen at the pace and scale required to support people and improve their lives. And we wand to build on this can do approach.
We delivered free school meal support during all school holidays and periods of remote learning for children from low income families – helping to tackle food insecurity during the pandemic. We will continue this whilst expanding Free School Meal support to all primary pupils, which will start within the first 100 days of this Parliament.
Also, in our first 100 days we will complete the roll-out of 1,140 hours of funded Early Learning and Childcare and have set out the next stage of our ambition to expand childcare further and develop a wraparound childcare system, providing care before and after school, all year round. This will make an important contribution to children’s development and will unlock the potential of parents in the labour market.
We will also deliver our £20 million summer programme for pupils, helping children socialise, play and reconnect – an essential investment to support the wellbeing of all children and young people [backed by £7.5 million from our Tackling Child Poverty Fund].
Through two Pandemic Support Payments of £100 to low income families with children we put money directly into the pockets of those who needed it most.
Building upon this approach, we will effectively pay the Scottish Child Payment through introducing bridging payments of £520 for families not yet eligible for the Payment, with £100 to be paid to families this summer. We will also provide £130 to every household who received Council Tax Reduction in April, reaching around 500,000 households.
I am pleased I can also make two announcements.
First, building on the practical support we offered during the pandemic, we will be providing the British Red Cross with a further £250,000 to continue their cash-first crisis support to those most at risk of destitution. This includes help to those impacted by the UK Government’s hostile policies that exclude them from most mainstream supports including the Scottish Welfare Fund.
And secondly, in recognition of the importance of listening to families affected by poverty, we will trial Family Wellbeing Budgets to put families firmly in control of the support they need. This new support will be delivered in partnership with the Hunter Foundation and will help to improve people’s wellbeing and capabilities.
Presiding offer, where we have the powers we are making a difference to people’s lives.
Nowhere is this more evident than in our approach to housing. Scotland has led the way in the across the UK with almost 100,000 affordable homes delivered since 2007, over 68,000 of which were for social rent. This is making a significant difference to people right across the country, and particularly for families with children.
We want to deliver a further 100,000 affordable homes by 2032. It is our aim that at least 70% of those homes will be for social rent, helping to tackle child poverty and homelessness.
But to tackle poverty effectively we must deliver a fair work future for Scotland, and we are working hard to do just that just now – but we are constrained by the powers available to us.
We cannot accept a future where two thirds of children living in poverty come from working households and where people are forced to rely on benefits to top-up their earnings.
We have to transform workplaces to tackle poverty and long-standing labour market inequalities, such as the disability employment gap and the barriers to employment faced by people from minority ethnic backgrounds.
With full powers over employment we could, as a minimum, ensure that all employees in Scotland receive the Real Living Wage, ensuring that their wages represent the true cost of living.
We could outlaw unfair fire and hire tactics, prohibiting employers from dismissing employees and subsequently re-employing them on diminished terms and conditions, and we could ban inappropriate and exploitative use of zero hour contracts, giving people the certainty about their working hours – ensuring they can plan their lives and incomes.
That’s why I have asked all party leaders to support our request to the UK Government for the full devolution employment powers to this parliament. So we can tackle poverty with the powers we need to make the change.
Social security is also an important tool to tackle poverty, and again those powers don’t lie in our hands. 85% of spending remains at Westminster alongside income replacement benefits such as Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance.
If we didn’t already need it, the pandemic further evidenced that the UK welfare system is not fit for purpose and risks undermining hard won progress. This is the system people in Scotland have to rely on and we shouldn’t have to mitigate against polices we disagree with like the £80 million we spent last year on Discretionary Housing Payments to mitigate the bedroom tax in full and support people with housing – we could be investing in other anti-poverty measures. If we had the powers here we would be able to do that.
The removal of the £20 uplift to Universal Credit is a callous act which will push 60,000 families across Scotland, including 20,000 children, into poverty and will result in families unable to work receiving, on average, £1,600 less per year than they would have done a decade ago – a decade ago – in 2011.
That’s a massive threat to the progress we could make here. We could be delivering the doubling of the Scottish child payment with one hand, only to see it removed by Westminster welfare policies with the other. Surely there is no-one across this chamber that can think that isin any way a good idea or a fair system?
We need to make significant investment into the pockets of those who need it most need. The Scottish child payment does that. That’s why it’s so important.
We have urged the UK Government to make the changes needed and to deliver a social security system which is fit purpose – scrapping harmful policies such as the two child cap, the rape clause, the benefit cap and 5 week wait under Universal Credit. Unfortunately, our calls, alongside many charities, organisations, and even the UN Poverty Rapporteur have been ignored. It’s time for full powers to come here so we can make the difference.
We have already shown we can make a difference – a public service based on human rights with respect and dignity at its heart and viewed as an investment in the people of Scotland. Principles we enshrined in law.
Through our powers, we are tackling child poverty head on, with the Scottish Child Payment, which currently pays £40 every four weeks for every eligible child under 6. We are committed to doubling this to £80, making even greater impact.
Alongside our Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods we are providing over £5,300 of direct financial support for families by the time their first child turns six and further for subsequent children as we don’t put a cap on children. These payments are making a real difference to low income families, helping them to access the essentials they need.
That support is unmatched anywhere else in the UK.
Presiding officer, our next steps will build on the strong foundation we have set, and will be taken forward at pace these changes. No one who sits in this parliament, whatever their political beliefs, can underestimate the scale of the challenge that we face.
I want to take that forward and I’m pleased to work with anyone across this chamber who wants to join me in doing that.
Investment in Low Carbon Urban Housing and City Centre Redevelopment across Edinburgh and Glasgow drives ambitious growth plans
Artisan Real Estate is strengthening its market position in Scotland with the announcement of a new management team as the developer moves forward with its £140 million investment plan focusing on low carbon city centre residential redevelopment across Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Experienced property professional David Westwater will join Artisan this month as Scottish Regional Manager, following 40 years of industry experience including Frasers Property UK, Interserve plc and most recently, as Development Director at Robertson Property.
Westwater (above) will help take forward Artisan’s ambitious plans to progress low carbon housing development with mixed-use regeneration across prime city centre brownfield sites – including a £98 million residential investment for Edinburgh alone.
Building on the existing expertise, Artisan is also currently recruiting a Scottish commercial and technical manager to further add to the team’s expansion, complementing the dedicated locally based sales and marketing team.
Artisan has witnessed a significant expansion of its home-building operation in Scotland during the past 12-months, building on its more established track record as one of the UK’s most recognised and award-winning city centre regeneration specialists.
The developer will shortly begin construction on Rowanbank Gardens, an industry-leading, sustainable residential development delivering 126 high-end apartments in the Corstorphine area of Edinburgh.
The development, on a former brownfield site, provides smart energy-efficient design geared to achieving low to zero carbon ratings whilst responding to the rapidly changing requirements of home buyers and the wider community following lockdown.
Artisan’s first residential development in Scotland, the 180-apartment Canonmills Garden overlooking the Water of Leith to the north of Edinburgh city centre, has now sold 85% of all available properties as it approaches completion later this year.
Welcoming the expansion of its Scottish operation, Artisan’s UK Property Director Clive Wilding, says: “These are exciting times for Artisan Real Estate in Scotland, and the strengthening of our team reflects the significant progress we have made during the last 12 months, despite the very obvious challenges faced during lockdown.
“Our current focus is developing prime brownfield sites across city centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, delivering low carbon, multi-tenure housing with no fossil fuel, linked to high quality external spaces and integrated with a range of green transport options.
“We are delivering niche urban developments in the most exciting parts of the city centre, creating a high-value premium product for a wide range of homebuyers. And we have a very exciting residential pipeline and are actively identifying and securing new opportunities across Scotland’s major city centre areas – a process which will be hugely boosted by our expanded dedicated residential and commercial Scottish operation.”
Artisan is also consolidating its market position as an urban regeneration specialist with a number of high-profile mixed-use commercial redevelopment projects across Scotland.
Construction work on the £80 million transformation of the Custom House building in Glasgow overlooking the River Clyde continues apace with a four-star, 294-bed Clayton Hotel and a 162-bedroom Adagio Apart-Hotel set to create a vibrant riverside quarter when it opens in 2022.
Plaudits are still being received for Artisan’s £250 million New Waverley development (above) at the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, completed in 2020.
The development’s Queen Elizabeth House, now the flagship UK Government hub now home to 2,900 civil servants, was recently recognised by the British Council for Offices and was awarded its Innovation Award, gaining national profile for the development.
Jaco Jansen, Artisan’s Chief Executive Officer adds: “Artisan has an amazing opportunity in Scotland to set a new benchmark for high quality urban regeneration in sensitive city-centre environments – whether it be commercial, residential or mixed-use. This supports our other regional businesses, each with a similar focus in Bristol and Leeds.
“Our track record in Scotland has given us a strong understanding of the importance of high quality placemaking, which is at the heart of all Artisan’s developments. We are an ambitious and hungry company with an increasing appetite for bespoke developments in the best city centre areas. We are looking forward to expanding our footprint across Scotland and the rest of the UK.”
Recently appointed Scottish Conservative Social Justice, Housing and Local Government Spokesperson, Miles Briggs, has today called for a statement in the Scottish Parliament on a post pandemic homelessness strategy, ahead of summer recess.
Today at Holyrood, Lothian MSP Miles Briggs brought to the attention of the First Minister concerns from constituents, that their emergency pandemic accommodation in guest houses and serviced apartments will be terminated as of this week.
Mr Briggs has called for an urgent statement to find out what contingency plans are in place for those who have no information on where they will go, with emergency accommodation being ended.
The First Minister agreed to look into the issue and where the Scottish Government could provide support.
Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said:“During the pandemic welcome steps were taken to provide accommodation for homeless individuals and families.
“We all need to work to make sure that we do not see a return to the homeless crisis and look to how we can work to end homelessness and rough sleeping.
“It is important that SNP Ministers have a plan for those who have been given accommodation throughout the pandemic, which will shortly no longer be available.”
