– Housebuilder supports 1,652 jobs, completes 732 new homes and 13.1ha of green space –
Barratt Developments Scotland, which includes Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has made a substantial contribution of £256.3m to the Scottish economy, with the housebuilder’s East Scotland division supplying £106.9m in GVA itself.
In the year ending 30 June 2021, Barratt East Scotland has also completed 732 new homes of which 144 were affordable and supported 1,652 direct, indirect and induced jobs across the region.
2021 also saw the largest UK housebuilder reinforce its commitment to creating homes for nature as well as people. The business created 13.1ha of public green spaces and private gardens around the region, the equivalent of 19 football pitches, to help support wildlife on and around its sites.
Barratt is working towards reducing its direct carbon emissions by 29% by 2025 and indirect emissions by 24% per square metre by 2030. In the past year, CO2e emissions per 100m.sq. of completed build area fell to 2.25t. across the East Scotland business.
98% of construction waste was also saved from landfill and 26% of new homes were built on previously developed land, up 54% on the previous year.
Alison Condie, managing director for Barratt East Scotland, said:“As the UK’s largest housebuilder, and one of the most sustainable, we place considerable emphasis on supporting people, the environment and generating strong economic growth for the region.
“To have contributed over £106m to the economy and supported over 1,652 jobs is a fantastic achievement and we’re determined to do even better this year.”
As part of its housebuilding activity, Barratt East Scotland has made £5.4m in local contributions to help build new facilities and community infrastructure. This contribution includes the provision of 320 new school places.
More than £19.3m has also been spent on physical works within communities, such as highways, environmental improvements and community facilities.
Other key findings from the Barratt East Scotland 2021 socio-economic report include:
· Increased support for public services with £23.9m in generated tax revenues
· Over £36,400 donated to local charitable and community causes
· 284 supplier and 335 sub-contractor companies supported
· Increased support for the UK supply chain with 90% of all components centrally procured, assembled or manufactured in-country
· More than £10.7m in retail spending by new residents, helping support 114 retail and service-related jobs
The development of new and future talent remains a key priority for Barratt Developments Scotland and 53 graduates, apprentices and trainees launched their careers with the company in 2021, 15 from the East Scotland Division.
The assessment of Barratt Developments’ performance was carried out by independent consultants Lichfields, who analysed socio-economic impacts through the delivery chain for new housing based on Barratt datasets, published research and national statistics.
Part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s major £1.3 billion regeneration of Granton Waterfront, the Western Villages project, will now be taken forward by CCG (Scotland) Ltd following a competitive tender process.
On track to begin construction in mid-2022, Western Villages will offer a mix of one, two- and three-bedroom flats with wheelchair accessible homes and a range of tenure options including social, mid-market rent and homes for sale.
The masterplan for the area will take account of the sea views and the nearby parkland, and will focus on active travel, electric car charging points, car club spaces and public transport links.
The decision was taken by the Finance and Resources Committee on Thursday (3 March).
The City of Edinburgh Council Depute Leader, Cammy Day, said: “Particularly on the back of COP26 and our own 2030 Climate Strategy, approving this contract gives us certainty that that we’ll be able to deliver this major aspect of the Council’s £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration.
“Housing will be integral in meeting our net zero ambitions by 2030 and Western Villages will be a gold-standard for other new development across the city.
“The wider regeneration project will also create one of Europe’s largest coastal city parks, providing opportunities for residents and visitors to reconnect with the city’s waterfront by offering more areas for leisure and outdoor experiences, civic spaces and sustainable housing.”
Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, Councillor Kate Campbell, said:“The decision by Finance and Resources Committee is great news and will help us deliver this development, which will help us accelerate the delivery of affordable homes. Granton’s regeneration is a key part of our commitment to build 20,000 social and affordable homes by 2027.
“The steps we’re taking now to make homes more sustainable will make homes easier and cheaper to heat, which helps us to tackle climate change. But it’s also crucial for tenants, reducing fuel bills at a time where the cost of living crisis is pushing too many people in poverty.”
Partnering with CCG (Scotland) and architect Cooper Cromar in the creation of the new housing, the Council is also adopting CCG’s new Net Zero Home housebuilding standard for this build which will support its ambition of achieving net zero by 2030.
This standard brings improved insulation, low carbon heating and renewable technology that will help the Council make big strides in building sustainable housing for its residents.
Over the next 15 years, 3,500 net-zero carbon homes, a low energy heat network, a primary school, health centre, commercial and cultural spaces, sustainable transport provision and a new coastal park are all planned to be delivered in Granton Waterfront alongside progress underway in growing a cultural and arts cluster.
Port of Leith Housing Association has been named the 10th best housing association to work for and the 33rd best company to work for in the UK.
It is recognised as the 11th best company to work for in Scotland. Based in Leith and providing over 3,000 homes across north Edinburgh, it employs over one hundred staff who work closely with local communities.
The Best Companies rankings are based on staff feedback on workplace factors such as leadership, wellbeing and personal growth.
Heather Kiteley, Group Chief Executive said: “It is incredibly important to Port of Leith Housing Association that staff enjoy great working conditions and feel supported and motivated in their roles.
“This is captured in our strategic plan and we believe that employee engagement is key to being a brilliant company. It has been a great success to rank among the top companies to work for in the UK. I am immensely proud of all our members of staff who contribute to making our organisation a brilliant place to work.”
Three key workplace factors that stood out in Association’s Best Companies ranking were work life balance, charitable activities, and that the organisation is run on strong values and principles.
This includes an ‘open-door’ approach to leadership, referring staff members to free counselling and supporting wellbeing during lockdowns, and distributing over £200,000 to local community organisations.
This ranking comes just months after an award for Excellence from the European Foundation of Quality Management last year. The award acknowledged the flexibility and responsiveness with which the Association met the impact of the pandemic.
A selection of four-bedroom townhouses and a three bedroom mews home available in first release at Royal Blind School site
THE FIRST release of homes at the anticipated redevelopment of Edinburgh’s former Royal Blind School and Braille Press will launch to market this weekend (26th of February).
Launching from its existing Cammo Meadows development, Cala Homes (East) has confirmed that the first release of four bedroom townhouses along with a three bedroom mews home – will be available for interested buyers, with prices ranging from £810,000 to £849,995.
Located in the heart of Edinburgh’s popular Newington area, Newington Residences by Cala Homes (East) will comprise a modern reimagining of the striking original school building into 21 apartments and a further mix of new build townhouses.
Regarded as one of south Edinburgh’s best-known buildings, the original school building dates back to 1874 and has been left vacant since 2014 after pupils were relocated to a new facility.
Cala will take it back to its former glory – removing extensions and outbuildings to revitalise its surrounds.
Building on the success of its award-winning conversion of the nearby former Boroughmuir High School, the developer will refurbish the historic main building into a selection of 21 one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with selection of new build townhouses a mews home and the fully refurbished gate house also featuring within the school’s attractive landscaped grounds.
Philip Hogg, Sales Director for CALA Homes (East), said: “This is a really exciting development for us, in one of Edinburgh’s most desirable postcodes.
“There’ll be a great mix of homes likely to appeal to a broad range of discerning buyers looking for high specification finishes and a tranquil location within easy reach of the city centre and the amenities Edinburgh has to offer.
“We believe the attractive renovation at the heart will give the development real character and charm, while preserving a historic local landmark.”
The development, within the Craigmillar Park conservation area has been carefully designed to respect the surrounding area, with new build homes boasting beautiful sandstone detail in keeping with local architecture and facades of the main building.
Townhouses will range from 1600 to more than 2700 square feet, with a mix of semi-detached and terraced properties.
Sporting ceiling heights of up to 3.4 metres and many with views of Edinburgh castle and the city skyline, the apartments will see the creation of modern open-plan homes, maximising the features of the existing building, whilst delivering contemporary design, high specification and convenience with the addition of lift access to upper floors.
The first buyers are planned to move in from summer 2022, with show homes launching in April.
For more information on Newington Residences – and to register your interest – visit:
New data reveals the shocking amount of money being spent on rent every month, on top of drastic cost of living increases set for April
Over 80% of renters are spending more than 30% of their take home pay on rent every month, with women hit the hardest
Almost one in three (29%) are spending more than 50% of their monthly pay on rent
Over 85% of women spend more than 30% of their income on rent, 10% more than their male counterparts
59% of renters don’t believe their rent is affordable
New data by flatshare site SpareRoom reveals the shocking amount of money being spent on rent every month, with over 80% of renters spending more than 30% of their take home pay on rent, and almost one in three (29%) handing over more than 50% of their pay.
People spending more than 30% of their household income on rent are traditionally considered ‘rent burdened’, those who spend over 50% are considered ‘severely rent burdened’. SpareRoom’s data shows the majority of renters are currently ‘rent burdened’. This means many will already have difficulties affording necessities including food, transport and medical care on top of rent, not to mention finding money for increases in living costs come spring.
With increased energy bills and national insurance costs looming, women are most likely to feel the pinch, with over 85% spending 30% or more of their income on rent, compared to 75% of men, highlighting the affordability gap between men and women.
Unsurprisingly the data showed people in London, South East and South West England are spending more of their take home pay on rent than in other regions – 84% of Londoners, 83% of South East and 82% of South West spend over 30% of their salary on rent*.
The pandemic saw rents drop in London and increase everywhere else, but recent data from SpareRoom’s Rental Index now shows the capital’s rents are back on the up, which will no doubt cause more of an affordability issue for Londoners.
Matt Hutchinson, SpareRoom director comments: “The general rule of thumb for affordability has always been that you should spend around 30% of your income on rent.
“Even before the pandemic hit that definition felt outdated, but we’re about to see people’s financial situations hit hard over the coming months and years. With over 80% of the UK already rent burdened, and almost a third spending over half of their salary on rent, people are already feeling the squeeze.
“Although wages are rising, they aren’t growing fast enough to make up for cost of living increases that are rising at their fastest pace for 30 years**. This doesn’t just affect renters, it also makes life difficult for the huge numbers of young people who moved back home to their family over the course of the pandemic, not to mention those who were already there.”
Survey conducted by SpareRoom in January 2022 with 11,130 respondents
* What % of your monthly take home pay goes on rent?
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Cllr Kate Campbell wrote in yesterday’s Evening News about how the council’s housing budget is managed:
The council’s housing budget is entirely ringfenced from the rest of council spending. Tenant’s rent is only spent on housing: services for council tenants, repairs, large scale upgrades to existing homes – things like new roofs or lifts or windows – and building new council homes.
Every year we set a one year budget, which includes setting rent levels for the coming year; a ten year strategy which sets investment plans for new and existing homes; and a 30 year strategy which makes sure that the HRA remains healthy and that we can afford all of the investment we want to make.
And there is a lot of investment we want to make. We’ve proposed £2.9bn of investment in council housing over the next ten years. Much of this is about building desperately needed new council homes to replace the stock we lost through the Right to Buy policy, which has sadly seen many former council homes turn into unaffordable private lets.
We’ll also invest £850m in existing homes. Energy efficiency measures are a big part, improving the quality of life for council tenants and resulting in warmer homes that are cheaper to heat.
We’ll continue with improvements inside tenant’s homes but also spend money on communal areas and the wider estates. Tenants have said they want better bin stores, playparks, community growing spaces, benches, landscaping and planting. This will make outdoor space useable, safe and bring a wealth of wellbeing benefits.
We can’t compromise our ability to make these investments. They’re crucial to the quality of life for tenants. Which is why proposing a rent freeze this year was a hard decision to make.
Due to Covid, there have been delays to construction. At points sites were completely closed, but there have also been social distancing and health and safety requirements that have slowed work down over the last two years.
So there has been an underspend. This means that although over the ten-year plan we need the additional funding we would have got from a 1.8% rent increase, we don’t need it now. We can freeze rents and not affect investment as long as it is made up from slightly higher increases in later years.
And right now we have a cost of living crisis which is hitting people on the lowest incomes the hardest.
We’ve already seen the cut of £20 a week to universal credit – a loss of over £1000 a year to many families in Edinburgh. Energy prices have rocketed, with predictions that they’ll continue to rise.
Too many people face the stark choice between feeding their families and heating their homes. And from April 2022 there will be an increase in National Insurance contributions.
And the ONS announced last week that inflation is the highest it’s been for nearly 30 years. But while overall it’s 5.4%, essentials go up by much, much more. Again, hitting people already struggling far harder.
So a rent freeze in this exceptional year feels like a difficult choice, but the right one.
It surely goes without saying that the rent freeze has nothing at all to do with the Council elections coming up in May, of course! – Ed
Scottish House Price Index from Walker Fraser Steele
Average house price in Scotland grows by 9.3% over last 12 months
transactions up by 11% on 2019 levels
Average house price up 0.2 in November, now stands at £213, 109
31 of 32 Local Authorities continue to see rising average prices over year to end November
Alan Penman, Business Development Manager at Walker Fraser Steele, comments:“The national growth rate in house prices of 9.3% remains exceptionally high. The ongoing ‘race for space’ continues to support demand for properties that offer the room to live and work in a pandemic environment. Working from home has changed where people want to live and the type of property they want to own.
“The subsequent increase in top-end sales last year has been a result of home movers seeking out properties better suited to their updated needs. Additional support was provided through the tax savings from the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax holiday that was available up to the end of March 2021.
“This encouraged the whole market to be more adventurous. Even now, competition among purchasers, a lack of suitable stock, and the continued very low interest rates supporting affordable mortgage debt means that there is currently plenty of good headwind to sustain prices.
“So while rates of growth in house prices may be stabilising in Scotland, the housing market in November still saw an increase in the average house price of £484, which is 0.2% higher than in October.
“Sales volumes from May to November 2021 look roughly on a par with, or slightly ahead of, previous years, perhaps suggesting that the market has now returned to its pre-pandemic transaction levels, but in summary it is fair to say Scottish house prices have enjoyed another strong year often outperforming the UK average.”
Commentary: John Tindale, Acadata Senior Housing Analyst:
“The November housing market Last month we indicated that Scotland’s rate of house price growth was starting to slow, as the annual rate reduced from 13.1% in September to a (revised) rate of 11.5% in October. This month (November), the rate of annual growth continues to reduce – to 9.3% – which represents a modest quickening in the rate of decline from October.
“We would point out, however, that a national growth rate in house prices of 9.3% is exceptionally high, and does not occur particularly frequently. For example, in the 166 months since January 2008, the national growth rate in house prices in Scotland has only exceeded a rate of 9.3% on 10 occasions, with 7 of those occurring during the pandemic in 2021. Historic records would therefore tend to suggest that price growth will slow.
“However, demand for properties with more space remains high. Rightmove reported that on Boxing Day 2021, property searches on their website set new record levels, with Glasgow featuring as the fifth most searched-for location in 2021, while Edinburgh stood in ninth position.
“Competition among prospective buyers for properties remains strong, which is helping to maintain current asking prices. In addition, interest rates remain low on a historic perspective, even if the Bank of England has been dropping hints that rates are likely to move up in the near future.
“In Scotland’s housing market in November, there has been an increase in the average house price of £484 in the month, which is 0.2% higher than in October. The reason for the fall in the annual rate of price growth this month arises from the strong performance in the market twelve months previously, when prices rose in the month of November 2020 by 2.3% – an increase of only 0.2% in November 2021 hence pales into insignificance by comparison.
Figure 1 below shows the movement in annual growth rates over the last 2 years. Although the trendline has a downward track over the final three months of the graph, it ends at a higher level than is currently seen. The answer to the question concerning the direction of travel in house prices in Scotland consequently remains too evenly balanced for a definitive conclusion to be reached.
Transactions analysis
Monthly transaction counts
Figure 2 below shows the monthly transaction count for purchases during the period January 2015 to November 2021, based on RoS (Registers of Scotland) figures for the Date of Entry. (November 2021 figures are based on RoS Application dates.)
The fall in the number of transactions at the onset of the pandemic in March/April 2020 is clearly visible – the March 2020 property sales that actually took place would largely have been agreed prior to the commencement of the first lockdown in Scotland on 24 March 2020. However, what is also clear is the recovery in sales during the summer of 2020, followed by an acceleration from August 2020 to a peak of 13,022 transactions in October 2020 – the highest number in a single month since November 2007.
It can be seen too that sales per month from September 2020 to March 2021 were at higher levels than the previous five years, as the market played ‘catch-up’ with the lost transactions during the spring and early summer months, and also took advantage of the LBTT tax reductions which were on offer from 15 July 2020 to 31 March 2021 (inclusive).
Also noteworthy is the spike in sales in March 2021 – as the tax reduction expiry date approached – as is the fall in sales in April 2021, indicating the extent to which buyers had managed to bring forward their purchases into March 2021 to take advantage of the LBTT tax savings.
Sales volumes from May to November 2021 look roughly on a par with, or slightly ahead of, previous years, perhaps suggesting that the market has now returned to its pre-pandemic transaction levels.
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 eleven 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 totals.
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 977 sales in excess of £750k during the first eleven months of 2021, and we anticipate there will be at least 23 additional sales in November 2021, not yet recorded by the Registers of Scotland and hence not included in the above total. Sales of high-value properties to the end of November 2021 will therefore likely reach 1,000 in number by the end of the month and approach 1,100 by the end of the year. Hence annual transactions of £750k or higher in 2021 will likely double those seen in 2018.
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. Home movers were thus encouraged to look for premises which better suited their updated needs. But additionally, we should mention the record low interest rates, which made the purchase of a top-end property more affordable, as well as the tax savings associated with the LBTT holiday, available up to the end of March 2021. This encouraged the whole market to be more adventurous in its outlook.
However, even with the additional 23 as yet unrecorded sales being taken into account, November 2021 becomes the second month in a row in which the number of homes purchased having a value of £750k or higher will be lower than that recorded in the same month of the previous year.
Annual change
The average house price in Scotland has increased by some £18,000 – or 9.3% – over the last twelve months, to the end of November. This is a reduction from the £21,800 growth seen to the end of October 2021, and is the second month in succession in which the annual rate of house price growth has slowed, having reached an annual rate of 13.1% in September 2021. In November, Scotland’s growth rate trails Wales’ 9.4% by 0.1%, but in percentage terms is still higher than the nine GOR regions in England.
In November 2021, 31 of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland saw their average prices rise over the previous twelve months. The one area with a price fall compared to one year earlier was Na hEileanan Siar – but low transaction counts on the Islands often cause unexpected results due to the volatility in the price of the small number of sales – there were just 25 transactions in Na h-Eileanan Siar in November, compared to over 700 in both Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The area with the highest annual increase in average house prices in November was Argyll and Bute, where average prices have risen by 17.8% over the year and by 4.6% in the month. Statistics for the month include the sale of the Ferry Inn House on the Rosneath Peninsula.
The Ferry Inn House was once owned by Princess Louise, the daughter of Queen Victoria. It sold for just under £1 million. The data for Argyll and Bute in November also includes the sale of a further £1 million detached property on the outskirts of Oban, with 11 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and 17 acres of land.
With these two properties having been sold in the month, it is little wonder that average prices in the area have seen such rapid escalation.
Monthly change
In November 2021, Scotland’s average house price in the month rose by some £500, or 0.2%, compared to a fall of £70 in October. The average price of a home in Scotland now stands at £213,109, which sets a new record level for the nation for the eighth time in the last twelve months.
In November, 20 Local Authority areas in Scotland experienced rising prices in the month, with only 12 seeing prices decline. The largest increase in average prices in November, of 10.2%, was in the Shetland Islands, followed by the Orkney Islands at 7.0%, but as indicated above, Scotland’s Island groups tend to see volatile price movements, due to the low number of sales each month.
On the mainland, Inverclyde saw the largest increase in prices in the month, of 4.6%. This increase in average price was helped this month by the sale of a modern detached home, overlooking the Firth of Clyde, in Gourock, for £650k.
On a weight-adjusted basis, which takes into account both the increase in average price and the number of transactions involved, six local authority areas in November were responsible for 54% of the positive movement in Scotland’s average house price. These were, in order of influence, South Lanarkshire, Argyll and Bute, Perth and Kinross, Highland, Falkirk and Moray. At the opposite end of the scale three authorities were responsible for 60% of the fall in prices in the month, being the City of Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire and East Lothian, with the overall rise in prices outweighing the falls by £484.
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 November there are 14 such authorities, up from 12 in October. In October, it was noticeable in Table 3 that four of the top six local authority areas ranked by price had reached new record levels: however, in November almost the opposite applies, with only one of the top six areas by value having established a new record price. Prices in the other five areas all fell in the month, with semi-detached homes in these areas tending to see the largest falls in average values.
Heat Map
The heat map below shows the rate of house price growth for the 12 months ending November 2021. As reported above, all but one of the 32 local authority areas in Scotland are reporting an increase in their housing values over the last year. The one area with negative growth is Na h-Eileanan Siar, where prices over the year have fallen by -4.6%. The highest increase over the twelve months to November 2021 was in Argyll and Bute at 17.8% with near neighbour East Dunbartonshire being in second place at 16.3%.
All short-term let properties will require a licence to ensure they are safe and the people providing them are suitable, under legislation approved by the Scottish Parliament.
Local authorities will be required to establish a short-term lets licensing scheme by 1 October 2022, and existing hosts and operators will have until 1 April 2023 to apply for a licence.
The legislation was developed in response to concerns raised by residents and communities about the impact of short-term let properties on their local communities, including noise, antisocial behaviour and the impact on the supply of housing in some areas.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “This legislation is a significant milestone on our path to bringing in an effective system of regulating short-term lets.
“Our licensing scheme will allow local authorities and communities to take action to manage issues more effectively, without unduly curtailing the many benefits of short-term lets to hosts, visitors and the economy.
“We have already introduced legislation allowing councils to establish short-term let control areas and manage numbers of short-term lets. This is the next step to delivering a licensing scheme that will ensure short-term lets are safe and that allowing them to continue to make a positive impact on Scotland’s tourism industry and local economies while meeting the needs of local communities.
“This legislation covers the whole of Scotland, including island and rural communities, and offers flexibility to local authorities in how it is implemented based on local needs and concerns.
“We appreciate the input from tourism bodies, local government, community organisations, residents and others in reaching this point.”
Welcoming the announcement, city council leader Adam McVey said: “This is fantastic news for residents. After our call for this legislative change we worked with the Scottish Government as they consulted on this issue and how the details of a licensing scheme would work.
“I’m really pleased all short term lets will now need a licence making them much easier to control not only in terms of overall impact on our housing supply but also help us deal with any anti-social behaviour and noise issues.
“It’ll mean whole properties being let out as short term lets will need to have ‘change of use’ planning permission before they can be granted a licence. This will help to stop homes being taken out of residential use or being let out when they are unsuitable or unsafe.
“In addition to this, councillors will consider a report next month on whether we should apply to the Scottish Government for Edinburgh to become a ‘short term let control area’. Enforcement of planning legislation is a costly and lengthy process. If approved, many properties being used as short term lets would automatically require to have planning permission in place.”
All short-term let properties will require a licence by July 2024.
ENABLE Scotland launches campaign to address the ‘human rights emergency’ of hundreds of Scots who have learning disabilities being forced to live far away from their families or stuck in hospital.
#MyOwnFrontDoor calls for urgent change to uphold the human rights of all adults with learning disabilities in Scotland to live in the community of their choice by 2023.
A new campaign launches today to unlock the door for hundreds of adults with learning disabilities to have the right to a home they choose and to live in the community of their choice, as Scotland’s largest member-led charity calls on society to address the “human rights scandal” facing people with learning disabilities in Scotland.
ENABLE Scotland’s latest campaign – #MyOwnFrontDoor – is being led by the charity’s 12,000 strong membership and supporter network to address what it describes as a “level of discrimination that we do not expect and would not expect other people in our society to bear“.
Due to lack of support to live in their own communities close to their loved ones, official data reveals that over 1,000 adults have been sent by Scottish local authorities to live ‘out of area’, meaning not in their home local authority area. Beyond this, a further 67 people are living in hospital. 22% of these people have been there for more than 10 years.
Despite a Scottish Government report highlighting this issue in 2018, which recommended that better specialist social care support should be available across Scotland to support these individuals to live in the community of their choice, there has been no monitoring of progress, and ENABLE Scotland fear that the situation has deteriorated further.
The campaign is calling for urgent action to end hospital living for people with learning disabilities; and to put immediate plans in place to ensure that all people in delayed discharge or who have been displaced ‘out of area’ are supported to return to live in the home they choose and the community they choose, close to the people they love by 2023.
Already the charity supports 6,000 people to live independently across Scotland, including some people who were previously living in hospital or other institutional settings for many years, or who have been fighting for their rights to live closer to their families.
People, like Nova, who ENABLE Scotland helped to support to move back to Scotland from England and live in her own house, close to her family. Before ENABLE Scotland got involved, Nova, who is in her early forties, was offered a placement in a care home for the elderly and it took more than a year to support her to get her own keys to her own front door.
Launching the campaign, John Feehan, an adult who has a learning disability and who is an active member of ENABLE Scotland, said: “It can be so hard to speak up for yourself when you have a learning disability. It is even harder to make people listen.
“That is why I am speaking out. It makes me so angry that other people who have a learning disability are stuck in hospital, or being forced to live far away from their families. This has been going on for too long now.
“Some people think that people who have a learning disability are not able to live in local communities like everyone else. They think that that it is easier for them to be locked away in hospital, or to live with lots of other people who have a learning disability.
“That isn’t true. It is only because the right support is not there – it’s not the person’s fault. Anyone can live anywhere with the right support. If they don’t want to be where they are, people need help to get back to live close to their families or to get out of hospital – right now.”
Jan Savage, Director of ENABLE Scotland, said: “This is a human rights emergency. It is a national scandal – hidden in plain sight. People who have a learning disability – brothers, sisters, sons and daughters – are being forced to live far from home, to “live” in hospital, or to live in care settings where they are uncomfortable and unhappy.
“I am sure that people will be shocked to learn about the situation our fellow citizens find themselves in. But they should be reassured that better is possible.
“Clear and decisive action is now required to adopt a ‘Community First’ principle to end the practice of people being sent out of area; to nationally invest in high quality, consistent, specialist social care support to be available in every community; and to stop building new multi bed units for people who have a learning disability. These are not the solution – they perpetuate the problem.
“We cannot wait any longer. People who have learning disabilities are being subjected to a level of discrimination that we would not, and do not, expect other groups in our society to bear.
“We are determined that this campaign will start a movement for change as each and every one of us stand up for the human rights of all people with learning disabilities in 2022. The keys to unlocking their own front door are in our hands.”
John Dalrymple, Director of Radical Visions, said: “Everything we know about the disastrous effects of segregation and exclusion and all the evidence we have about good social care practice argues for an immediate halt to the placement of people in institutions.
“Everything we say we believe about basic humanity, independent living and universal human rights compels us to support campaigns like #myownfrontdoor and ensure that in future no-one is denied a home of their own.”
A new campaign report from the charity – My Own Front Door– proposes five key steps that public bodies must take now to unlock the right to an own front door for people who have a learning disability.
The five keys are:
Close all Assessment and Treatment Unit (ATU) beds and end the practice of Scottish citizens being sent out of the country.
Immediately implement a Community First principle for the commissioning of support for all adults and children who have a learning disability in Scotland – ending the commissioning of multi bed units.
Invest nationally in a Specialist Provider Network to improve local support in every area in Scotland.
Maintain a national at-risk register and ensure that everyone identified on this has a plan by 2023 to come home to the community of their choice.
Create a national Community Living Panel to ensure oversight and accountability of decision making about individual placements.
As part of this campaign, the charity is offering support and advice to any individual or family who is affected by this issue, and is asking members of the public to raise the issue directly with their local MSPs.
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Proposals for a ground-breaking ‘net zero’ housing development, as part of the £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project in north west Edinburgh, were granted approval by city planners yesterday.
The Granton D1 project is the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) pilot which will see the construction of 75 net zero carbon homes and three retail units in Granton. The project is led by the City of Edinburgh Council with support from construction and academic partners and is part of the Council ambitions to deliver 20,000 affordable homes by 2027.
The project is being undertaken in partnership with CCG (Scotland) Ltd to test this new business model for building affordable, net zero homes. A large proportion of the construction will be carried out off site in a factory setting reducing the overall time it takes to build the homes. The homes will also include zero emissions heating. This will help to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and support the city’s 2030 net zero target.
The pilot is also supported by a team from Napier University that will analyse the energy performance to validate and inform the net zero carbon strategy for future EHD projects. The EHD project aims to deliver 1,000 affordable net zero carbon homes across the six council areas in the City Region Deal.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “Making homes more sustainable will help us to meet our net zero targets, but the most important thing is that our tenants will benefit. With the cost of living rising sharply, making the running costs of homes more affordable will help tenants on low incomes, preventing fuel poverty.
“This pilot, and the learning we hope to take from it, is a really important step for us on our journey to making all of our housing stock more energy efficient, and better for tenants to live in. We have incredibly ambitious plans which form the bedrock of our housing strategy over the next ten years.
“There is a critical need for more affordable homes in Edinburgh and we are responding to that through our commitment to deliver 20,000 social and affordable homes by 2027.”
Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener for the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “The Granton D1 development will provide affordable places to live for everyone with over 60% being for social rent.
“The development is part of the wider Granton Waterfront regeneration – which includes the creation of one of Europe’ s largest new coastal city parks.
“We hope to provide residents and visitors with the chance to reconnect with the city’s waterfront and taken advantage of the new leisure and outdoor experiences that will be on offer – altogether fostering an environment that will benefit everyone’s health, community spirit and wellbeing.”
Councillor Neil Gardiner, Convener for the Planning Committee, said: “This sustainable development is a great addition to our major regeneration of Granton Waterfront to create a coastal town with lots of green and open space.
“It was good to see the committee unanimously backing the project which will provide the area with much needed affordable net zero homes as well retail units providing businesses opportunities and employment locally.”
Calum Murray, CCG (Scotland) Director and Edinburgh Climate Commissioner, said: “The approval of Granton D1 is another important milestone for the City of Edinburgh Council and CCG.
“By working collaboratively alongside our partners, we are pioneering the delivery of affordable, net zero homes in Scotland and the Council is to be congratulated for taking these necessary first steps in delivery of our country’s net zero carbon ambitions.
“CCG is delighted to be leading the design and build of Granton D1 where we will provide a cutting-edge demonstration in the use of fabric first design and construction technology. We look forward to advancing works on-site in the very near future.”
Construction of Granton D1 is expected to begin in Spring 2022.
The wider proposals will bring over 3000 additional homes and create one of Europe’ s largest coastal city parks linking Granton Harbour to Cramond and Lauriston Castle, reconnecting the city with its waterfront and provide the opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy spectacular views across the Forth while experiencing enhanced leisure
