Work starts on phase two of Dumbryden Gardens housing

The City of Edinburgh Council’s affordable housebuilding programme continues apace with construction starting this week in Wester Hailes.

A further 49 new affordable and energy efficient homes will be built in phase two of the Dumbryden Gardens development on the former Dumbryden primary school site. This follows completion of the Dumbryden Gardens phase one development in November 2019.  

Led by construction partner Robertson Partnership Homes, procured through SCAPE Construction, the site combines 35 homes for social rent and 14 homes for mid-market rent and includes a number of wheelchair accessible homes.

This development, to be completed in Winter 2022, is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s housing building programme which, along with housing association partners, will contribute to the delivery of 20,000 new homes across the city by 2027.

Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “It’s great to see construction starting on another council-led development with more new council houses getting built. Our house building programme has to meet the needs of our communities and so these homes will be accessible, highly energy efficient and some homes will be fully wheelchair adapted.

“There are so many families in need of permanent, affordable housing, so it’s good that next year these homes will be ready for families to move in and be part of this growing community.”

Councillor Mandy Watt, Vice Convener, said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the development start to take shape over the course of next year, and bring a range of benefits for the local community through revitalising a disused site and through additional initiatives delivered by our contractor, Robertson Partnership Homes, as part of the project. 

“Edinburgh has one of the most ambitious house-building plans of any local authority in the UK and these are great example of quality Council-led homes that will be affordable to rent and live in long term.”

Matt Collins, managing director, Robertson Partnership Homes, said: Last year we completed 263 new homes for the City of Edinburgh Council’s Small Sites Programme through Scape’s Major Works Scotland framework and are proud to be the delivery partner for the second phase at Dumbryden Gardens.   

“The City of Edinburgh Council is committed to providing high-quality homes and equal housing opportunities for its residents.  The inclusion of sustainable features which will further benefit the residents underlines the Council’s commitment to the natural environment and the wellbeing of the communities it is creating. 

 Mark Robinson, group chief executive at SCAPE, said: “We’re delighted that Robertson Partnership Homes and the City of Edinburgh Council will be delivering energy efficient homes for both social and mid-market rent.

“SCAPE is fully committed to helping clients achieve their net zero carbon target.

“Whilst the need for social and affordable housing is ever pressing, it’s important that new homes are delivered which help address the environmental challenges we face, and it’s encouraging to see the City of Edinburgh Council future proof their housing stock.”

BEWARE: Dinosaurs in North Edinburgh!

DINOSAUR DISPLAY HATCHES IN PENNYWELL!

Local residents are being encouraged to track down and report any unusual sightings of baby dinosaurs in their neighbourhood. It comes as a dozen lanterns were let loose in Pennywell and Muirhouse after featuring in the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Lost Worlds display at Edinburgh Zoo.

The batch of hatching dinosaur eggs – each symbolising a sign of the zodiac – can be visited in North Edinburgh Arts, Muirhouse Library and North West Locality Council Office until Friday 21 February.

The free event has been made possible through the City of Edinburgh Council’s partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), Urban Union, Robertson Partnership Homes and support from North Edinburgh Arts and Police Scotland.

Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Cllr Kate Campbell, said: “Pennywell is a fantastic community which has experienced a great deal of redevelopment in recent years, so I hope the lantern trail will encourage lots of people to explore the area and see how it has evolved.

“Throughout all of this change, our mission and that of the community has always been to create new and exciting opportunities for residents and local businesses. We’ve worked with developers and the Scottish Government to do this, creating the Pennywell All Care Centre for health and wellbeing and of course the incredible North Edinburgh Arts centre, where dinosaurs now roam.

“More than £42 million has been invested in the area which has created 356 affordable homes and more for private sale. With investment of £2.5 billion planned over the next 10 years, we’ll be looking to replicate projects like this under our ambitious plans for council housing.”

The regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse is well underway and will deliver around 1,000 new homes for sale and rent, enhanced public services and retail offering and a new public square, alongside new opportunities for learning, arts, culture and employment.

Neil McKay Managing Director of Urban Union added: “Our new collection of homes builds on the success of Phase 2 and 1, by offering an exceptional range of modern, warm and welcoming homes, together with new local amenity.

“We hope the lanterns’ fun pre-historic theme and message of conservation are welcomed by the community and allows everyone to explore the regeneration of Pennywell and Muirhouse.”

James Freel, managing director of Robertson Partnership Homes, said: “We’re really proud to support events that embody the true meaning of community, bringing people together to not only enjoy the lanterns but discover the incredible transformation of the area.

“Regeneration has been at the heart of the whole project and we’re on track to deliver high quality residential units across the town centre. We’re looking forward to literally shining a light on the fantastic progress made so far.”

RZSS events and experiences manager Jonathan Brown said: “Giant Lanterns Lost Worlds gave our visitors the opportunity to discover the amazing creatures that once lived on our planet and helped us raise awareness of the very real threat of extinction faced today by endangered species around the world.

“We were thrilled to see so many people enjoying the event and learning about our wildlife conservation work. It is exciting to have this opportunity to bring it to light again within the local community.”

As a wildlife conservation charity, RZSS is dedicated to connecting people to nature and safeguarding threatened species. This year the theme for the lanterns at the Zoo was Lost Worlds, including hundreds of pre-historic creatures from the beginning of life on earth through to the ice age.

The City of Edinburgh Council and its partners are committed to the conversation of the planet and over the next decade, the Council has committed to planting one million trees and cutting carbon to net zero.

Earlier this week, a new Council report revealed Capital households are more climate aware and generate less waste per resident than those of any other major Scottish city. The city is prioritising plans to tackle climate change with ambitious plans to cut carbon to net zero by 2030 and was recently announced as the second most sustainable city in the UK.

The Pennywell display maximises the time Edinburgh has with these lanterns by reusing elements of the display and spreading the Zoo’s message of conservation.

Local worker praised for contribution to Pennywell Living

A local construction worker has been praised for his contribution to the regeneration journey of all three phases of the Pennywell Living development.

Born and bred in Muirhouse, 59 year- old Roy has lived at Pennywell his whole life and has played a vital role in the development of the site from its inception, bringing his knowledge and connection to the community to the delivery team. Continue reading Local worker praised for contribution to Pennywell Living