In today’s edition:
House-building starts and completions in Edinburgh;
The Transport and Environment committee agenda for tomorrow;
Partner sought for housing proposal on former Castlebrae High School site;
Canongate project a showcase for 3D modelling and digital scanning;
$1m donation for Dunard Centre;
Planning awards competition success for council;
Bonnington build-to-rent scheme shortlisted for its use of brick;
Keddies Gardens playpark reportedly re-opened;
Leith Walk student accommodation project reaches milestone; and
See you on Friday!
DURING the first three months of this year, construction began on some 371 homes in Edinburgh, mainly by the private sector.
According to Scottish Government statistics (here), the 371 ‘starts’ comprised 265 private sector ones, plus 92 local authority and 14 housing association ones.
The 371 ‘starts’ figure contrasts with 965 ‘all-sector’ housing starts during the final three months of last year (721 private, 147 local authority and 97 housing association).
As for homes completed in Edinburgh, there was a total of 435 during the first three months of this year (391 private, 20 local authority and 24 housing association), compared to 1,006 during the final three months of last year (931 private, 75 local authority and zero housing association).
Scotland-wide, there was an 11 per cent decrease in ‘all sector’ house-building starts and a four per cent decrease in completions between 2023-24 and 2024-25 (financial year ending March).
Also Scotland-wide, the Scottish Government adds: “In terms of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, in 2024-25, there were 4,775 approvals, 5,424 starts, and 7,444 completions of affordable homes.
“The number of completions were down by 22 per cent (-2,070 homes) compared to 2023-24. Approvals and starts also decreased by 31 per cent (-2,167 homes) and 21 per cent (-1,471 homes) between 2023-24 and 2024-25 (year ending March).
“These statistics are used to inform progress against Scottish Government affordable housing delivery target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70 per cent will be for social rent and ten per cent will be in rural and island communities.
“By 2024-25, 28,537 affordable homes have been completed towards the target.”
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IT’S a busy agenda at tomorrow’s meeting of the council’s Transport and Environment committee, including four cost options to revamp George Street (as a pedestrianised street).
Also on the agenda: Street cleaning performance, water quality in the Water of Leith, delivery cyclists, anti-social behaviour on the trams, communal bins and the bypass.
It kicks off at 10am and it’s being broadcast, live, on a webcast. Read more, here.
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A BUYER is being sought to develop housing on the site of the former Castlebrae High School, on Greendykes Road.
The near 11-acre site is being advertised by The City of Edinburgh Council on the public contracts website, Public Contracts Scotland, and can be found here.
Says the entry on PCS, the “ambition” is for 144 ‘affordable homes’ and 163 private ones, making a total of 307.
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A STUDENT accommodation project earmarked for 179 Canongate has been written up as a showcase for 3D modelling and digital scanning.
In an article on the website of Project Scotland (here), consulting engineers, Will Rudd, is featured “tackling a complex brief involving heritage retention, restricted access, live underground services and a highly constrained urban site”.
The article adds that one of the challenges has been a sewer running below the footprint of the site.
The architects are 3DReid and the developers are S Harrison.
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A DONATION of $1m has been given to a 1,000-seater concert venue earmarked for a site behind the Royal Bank of Scotland building on St Andrew Square.
Construction work on the Dunard Centre is expected to begin soon, and the donation is from the philanthropic foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Read more, on the centre’s website, here.
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THE city council has been named a winner at a Scotland-wide ‘planning excellence’ awards ceremony.
Albeit it was the only shortlisted entry in its category, the council took the Planning Authority prize at the Scotland Awards for Planning Excellence, run by the Royal Town Planning Institute.
Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Futures Institute was named Overall winner, while Rowanbank Gardens, in Corstorphine, was commended in the Best Project category.
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A BUILD-to-rent apartment block in Bonnington has been shortlisted in a competition recognising the design qualities of brick.
PLATFORM_in Edinburgh - just off Bonnington Road, on Fyfe Lane - offers residents several amenities in addition to their apartments, such as a gym and a yoga studio.
And - says architects, jmarchitects, here - it has been shortlisted in the Large Housing Development (101+ units) category (here) of this year’s Brick Awards, run by the Brick Development Association.
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A CHILDREN’S playpark has reportedly re-opened, following a near £200,000 upgrade.
Reports the Edinburgh Evening News (here), Keddies Gardens - near Ferry Road, by the Water of Leith - has seen £188,513 spent on its refurbishment.
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A STUDENT accommodation block on Leith Walk has reached a major milestone: a so-called ‘topping out ceremony’, marking the completion of the structural framework.
Says the developer, Firethorn, here: “[The] six-storey asset will provide high-quality accommodation for 230 student beds, alongside generous amenities, including a fully-equipped gym, student common room, cinema and modern study spaces.”
Firethorn adds: “With the structural frame now complete, Leith Walk is on track for completion in time for the 2026/27 academic year.”
It’s not clear, from the announcement, where exactly on Leith Walk the building is, and efforts by BuildEdinburgh to find out have unfortunately proven fruitless.
Image details: The Pleasance; copyright Mike Wilson