City council Housing Convener Councillor Cammy Day met with tenants for a tour of the newest completed homes at the award-winning Pennywell site yesterday. The new tenants were viewing the block and meeting their Grieve Crescent neighbours for the first time.
Continue reading Tenants get the keys to their new homes in Pennywell
UNISON’s Edinburgh branch is warning that cuts to the council’s Private Rented Service Team could threaten safer housing for private tenants and lose the council hundreds of thousands in income. Continue reading Union concerns for tenants’ safety as service faces cuts
An Information Event to inform local people about the proposed housing development at West Pilton Grove will be held on
Tuesday 12 April from 11am to 7pm
North Edinburgh Local Office (NELO), 8 West Pilton Gardens
where you will have the opportunity to drop in and speak to the development team about the project and give your comments.
For further information contact Aline Kirkland on 0131 220 7781.
Action Groups formed based on community priorities
Five new Action Groups have been formed following last month’s community conference at Craigroyston Community High School.
The conference, organised by Community Action North and Granton Improvement Society supported by Craigroyston High School’s Community Centre, gave local people an opportunity to identify the main issues affecting the area. Participants then worked in small groups to look in detail at these topics and went on to form Action Groups to work with others to find short, medium and longer term solutions to the area’s problems.
The Action Groups are:
More than fifty local people took part in the event and it’s hoped that many more with attend a follow up event in the autumn.
A spokesperson for the conference organisers said: “The weather on the day was really dreadfully so we were delighted that so many people made the effort to attend. There was a lot of enthusiasm and many ideas were generated at the conference and the Action Groups will now take these ideas forward and plan the way ahead. There are lots of changes happening in the area just now and it’s important that local people are involved and have a say in the decisions that affect their lives.”
If you would like to be involved in the Action Groups or want more information about CAN, email comunityactionnorth@gmail.com
Scotland’s councils are to share £406 million in grant subsidy in the new financial year to deliver more affordable homes, it’s been announced. Continue reading Over £400 million for affordable homes
Tuesday’s West Pilton West Granton Community Council meeting promises to be a busy one with a full agenda. Continue reading Much to discuss at West Pilton
Tenants & Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) will not oppose students housing development on the site of St Paul’s RC Church on Muirhouse Avenue, writes JAMES McGINTY Continue reading Tenants group ‘removes objection’ to St Paul’s housing plans
TRIM has organised a public meeting to discuss the proposed housing development on St Paul’s site on Muirhouse Avenue
As many will be aware TRIM is against the proposed development of Student accommodation at the old St Paul’s Church. TRIM Board has agreed to meet with the developer and architect.
This meeting will be
On Tuesday the 9th February
At 7pm
Within Muirhouse Millennium Centre
Please share this with anyone you feel may wish to attend and we look forward to see you on Tuesday
Please note this meeting is instead of our normal TRIM meeting
Student flat planned development at St Paul
Website – http://muirhouseresidents.co.
Find us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/
New “TRIM Freebies Group” – https://www.facebook.com/
Also on Twitter – http://twitter.com/
Anything you can do: Housing Associations will match council home for home
Edinburgh is set for a major housing boost after the Council’s ambitious plan to build thousands of new homes was matched by partner housing associations.
Six Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) have pledged to match the City of Edinburgh Council’s plan to build 8,000 homes, which will bring 16,000 affordable and low cost homes to the city over the next decade. Representatives joined senior Council officials at the City Chambers today to officially back their commitment to the partnership.
The housing associations, which are not-for-profit, are Castle Rock Edinvar, Dunedin Canmore, Hillcrest, Home Group, the Link Group, and Port of Leith. They met Council Leader Councillor Andrew Burns, Depute Leader Sandy Howat, Chief Executive Andrew Kerr, Health, Social Care and Housing Convener Councillor Ricky Henderson and Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day.
Alister Steele, from Castle Rock Edinvar, said: “Housing associations operating in Edinburgh are pleased to match the Council’s pledge and commit to delivering 8,000 much needed affordable homes in Edinburgh. As part of Places for People, Castle Rock Edinvar is already committed to developing 1,000 New Homes for Edinburgh. Extending our contribution in collaboration with fellow housing associations and the City of Edinburgh Council allows us all to make a significant contribution to the housing supply, wellbeing and economic growth in the city.”
Ewan Fraser, Chief Executive of Dunedin Canmore, which is part of Scotland’s largest housing care and property management organisation, Wheatley Group, said: “We are absolutely determined to play our part, working with the City Council and other housing associations, in tackling the acute shortage of affordable housing in Edinburgh.
“The plans unveiled today represent an outstanding example of partnership working and we are delighted to announce that, as part of our commitment to maintaining and improving communities across the city, we will build at least 1,000 good-quality, energy-efficient homes in the capital over the next decade.”
Councillor Day said: “We all know about the acute shortage of affordable homes in the capital; a shortage that’s pushing house prices out of the reach of those on low to middle incomes, increasing rents in the private sector and creating a cost of living crisis that’s putting real pressure on people across Edinburgh. This fantastic joint commitment will see the Council and its partners build on their current successes and accelerate house building to provide the increase in affordable homes that Edinburgh so desperately needs.
“This joint commitment won’t just deliver 16,000 homes – we expect it to generate benefits to the local and national economy of around £4bn, create over 3,000 jobs and bring in additional council tax revenue to help fund the delivery of essential services for the people of Edinburgh. Reducing the cost of living for tenants and building more affordable homes are key priorities for the Council.”
Almost 150 households bid for every Council and housing association home available to let in Edinburgh, and the city’s population is set to grow by up to 30% over the next twenty years.
The Council was already committed to delivering 3,000 affordable and low cost homes on 22 sites in the city, including investing over £100 million on lending to nine Limited Liability Partnerships set up through the Government’s National Housing Trust (NHT) initiative.
Western Harbour development will ease city’s housing crisis
The National Housing Trust initiative (NHT) will deliver almost 900 affordable homes for rent in Edinburgh, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil revealed at Western Harbour yesterday.
The City of Edinburgh Council has already delivered more than 400 NHT homes with hundreds more in the pipeline. The latest 234-home development at the Western Harbour brings the total number of NHT homes approved across Scotland to more than 2,000.
The Scottish Government’s financial innovation is unlocking strategic sites for housing development across the country, delivering more homes for less public investment.
The City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Futures Trust and the Forth Ports Group are spearheading the Waterfront development, which is being built by Hart Builders.
Mr Neil said: “The contribution from innovative financing approaches, such as NHT, using government guarantees, loans, grant recycling and new sources of private funding is substantial and growing.
“Edinburgh has wholeheartedly embraced the NHT, the first guarantee-based model for housing in the UK, as one that can help ease the city’s housing pressures.
“People in the capital will have access to a quality home at an affordable rent, and the NHT model allows them to save for a mortgage whilst staying in the home that they may be able to buy.
“NHT, which is providing affordable homes without the need for grant subsidy, has reached a milestone with over 2,000 homes approved for construction.
“More generally, we have exceeded our target to deliver 30,000 affordable homes in this Parliament including over 20,000 homes for social rent.
“Our new target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years is bold, credible and affordable. This is a 67 per cent increase in completed homes over the next five year period.”
Councillor Norman Work, City of Edinburgh Council said: “The City of Edinburgh Council is delighted to work in partnership with Scottish Government, Forth Ports and Scottish Futures Trust in enabling this development, which includes the 2000th National Housing Trust home across Scotland.
“The Council has committed over £100 million for NHT in Edinburgh, and this will deliver almost 900 affordable homes throughout the city. Edinburgh has a shortage of affordable housing and this 234-home development will make a significant contribution towards the regeneration of Western Harbour and creating an integrated sustainable community.
“Edinburgh is a growing city and meeting the need for new, good quality and good value homes is a major part of the Council’s Capital Coalition commitment to ensure that the city’s residents are well housed. The Council will continue to seek innovative funding solutions through collaborative working partnerships to deliver affordable homes”.
Christa Reekie, commercial director at the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT), explained: “Today’s announcement clearly illustrates the huge impact SFT’s award-winning National Housing Trust programme is having and further consolidates the partnership between the City of Edinburgh Council and SFT even further.”
Colin Macdonald of Hart Builders, part of the Cruden Group said: “We are delighted to be working with Forth Ports, Rettie & Co., the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council to deliver this development at Western Harbour.
“It will not only provide a secure and sustainable environment, but will also enable Hart to maintain current employment and training opportunities over the lifetime of the construction period.”
Nick Watson, Director at Rettie & Co. said: “Over the last three years Rettie and Co has enabled and coordinated the delivery of much-needed new rental stock for the City of Edinburgh delivering 296 new units.
“We are delighted to have been working constructively on the Western Harbour development with Forth Ports, Cruden, Hart Builders, the Scottish Government, Scottish Futures Trust and City of Edinburgh Council.”
