Student flats set for St Paul’s site
A planning application has been lodged to build 36 student flats on the St Paul’s site off Pennywell Road in Muirhouse:
http://www.urbanrealm.com/news/5864/Edinburgh_church_to_make_way_for_new_student_housing.html
Port of Leith steps in with Lorne Street rescue plan
Over the last weeks we have been involved in talks with the council, the landlord and housing associations. Last week we received the fantastic news that Port of Leith Housing Association will try and build a business case for buying the properties. Continue reading Ray of hope for Lorne Street campaigners
An ambitious project to build a new community of affordable homes in Leith is now underway.
Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) and the City of Edinburgh Council have started work on the Leith Fort housing development, with the first homes due to be completed in 2017.
A total of 94 new homes will be built on the former 18th century Leith Fort site, 62 of which will be owned by PoLHA and available for mid market rent and 32 units will be owned by the Council for social rent.
The new properties have been modelled on the Edinburgh colonies concept and are a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom homes. A particular feature of this development is that all homes have access to private south west facing gardens. There is also parking provision within the site and a communal landscaped area.
Keith Anderson, Chief Executive of PoLHA, said: “Building high-quality, affordable housing in Leith and North Edinburgh is at the heart of what we do and we are delighted to breathe new life into the former Leith Fort site which will complement our existing mix of developments in the city. Many people still have difficulties in accessing good quality homes which is why Leith Fort will help meet a wider range of needs.”
The main contractor is CCG (Scotland) Ltd and the development is being funded by PoLHA, the Council and the Scottish Government.
Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I am delighted that work has started on this development, which will offer much-needed, high quality and energy-efficient homes at a price that people can afford. This is an historic site and the finished development, complete with gardens and landscaping, will be an attractive addition to the Leith community.
“We have trebled the number of affordable houses being delivered in Edinburgh to around 1,500 a year through programmes such as 21st Century Homes and will continue to work in partnership with organisations such as the Port of Leith Housing Association to deliver as many as possible.”
‘Housing is a key priority for this government and is fundamental to tackling poverty’ – Housing Minister Margaret Burgess
Housing Minister Margaret Burgess has pledged to invest £3 billion to deliver 50,000 new affordable homes over the next five years. The new target is a 67 per cent increase in affordable housing supply, with 70 per cent of the new target being for social rent. Continue reading Minister pledges 50,000 new affordable homes
‘We desperately need housing but the local planning authority isn’t addressing the basics’ – Colin Keir MSP
Colin Keir MSP for Edinburgh Western has called for infrastructure to be put in place to allow sustainable housing development in Edinburgh. Continue reading Keir: Housing situation ‘pressing on being critical’
‘It’s important we send a strong message of support to them’
Alison Johnstone, Scottish Green MSP for Lothian, has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament calling for financial support for the 200 tenants of Lorne Street in Leith who face being evicted from their homes by the charity that owns their flats. The Agnes Hunter Trust wants to sell the properties, saying maintenance costs are too high. Continue reading Johnstone lodges motion supporting Lorne Street residents
Tenants & Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM) meets tomorrow (Tuesday 10 November) at 6.30pm in Muirhouse Millennium Community Centre. All welcome. Continue reading TRIM meeting tomorrow
Homes selling more quickly as confidence grows
The property market in east central Scotland is growing in confidence, with an increased number of homes being sold and more properties achieving their Home Report valuation, according to the latest analysis by ESPC.
The number of new homes brought to market between the months of August and October 2015 increased by 1.6% annually, reversing the trend of year-on-year decreases seen since the House Price Report in May.
This follows a surge at the start of the year, then a dip over the summer in the number of homes being brought to market following the introduction of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT).
‘Offers over’ is becoming the most popular as a way to market property, with 72% of properties brought to market with this pricing strategy, compared with 55% for the same period in 2014. Properties sold as ‘offers over’ are achieving an average of 6.2% over the asking price, up from 5.4% last year.
Maria Botha-Lopez, business analyst for ESPC, said: “This month’s House Price Report is continuing to demonstrate steady growth in the housing market in east central Scotland.
“As we have seen in previous reports, conditions are favourable for sellers with more homes being sold, which are taking less time to sell and are increasingly achieving their Home Report valuation.”
Average prices across east central Scotland are also continuing to remain steady, with a 1.5% increase between August and October 2015 compared with the same period last year. However, as with previous reports, there has been fluctuations in different areas of the region.
This time last year, the areas and property types that were showing the largest year-on-year increases in selling prices were three bedroom houses in Liberton and Gilmerton and properties in West Fife and Kinross.
Now, three bedroom homes in South Queensferry and Dalmeny are showing a 3.3% growth, while the average selling price of three bedroom homes in Liberton and Gilmerton has increased 1%.
Two bedroom flats in Portobello and Joppa are once again among the areas and property types showing the largest year-on-year increases in selling prices, as are one bedroom flats in Dalry, Gorgie, Slateford and Chesser, which are becoming popular areas for first time buyers.
podcast discussing the report in detail:
Key points
Council plans to build an additional 5000 homes
The City of Edinburgh Council has set out plans to build 8,000 homes in an attempt to address the shortage of affordable housing and tackle the impact of soaring housing costs in the private sector.
A report to Tuesday’s Health, Social Care and Housing Committee will outline proposals to increase the Council’s house-building programme from 3,000 to 8,000 over the next decade.
The report represents a major change in the Council’s bid to meet growing demand for new affordable homes. 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 20 years.
The Council has already committed to funding the construction of almost 3,000 new homes through the award-winning 21st Century Homes and working in partnership with the National Housing Trust. The proposals are part of the Council’s ongoing budget consultation details, of which can be accessed here.
Councillor Cammy Day, Housing Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Expanding the Council’s award-winning house-building programme would be a bold and strategic response to the acute shortage of homes in Edinburgh. High quality, low cost, energy efficient housing is simply out of reach for far too many people in the city. We are determined to address that.”
More young people than ever living in poverty
The most comprehensive review ever carried out on progress towards greater equality and human rights protection across Scotland and the rest of Britain has been published. Continue reading It’s not fair: ‘many people are being left behind’
