First tenants move into pioneering affordable homes in Edinburgh

Tenants have moved into the first ‘net zero ready’ affordable homes to be delivered in Granton Waterfront.

The homes at Granton Station View are the first Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme pilot which is part of a collaborative programme between local and national government, academia and the construction industry that has developed a new model for delivering affordable housing in Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. +

Managing Director David Wylie CCG (Scotland) with Council Leader Cammy Day (centre) and Housing and Homeless and Fair Work Convener Cllr Jane Meagher welcoming new tenants to Granton Station View (Image: City of Edinburgh Council)

The homes will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support the city’s 2030 net zero target. The homes were largely manufactured offsite and have high performance energy efficient features which will help reduce utility bills for tenants. Features include triple glazing, communal zero direct emissions heating as well as solar panels linked to the communal energy centre being provided. The University of Edinburgh will monitor the energy efficiency of the building design for the first year.

A housing emergency was declared in Edinburgh last year and the 75 energy efficient homes for social and mid-market rent at Granton Station View built by CCG (Scotland) Ltd on behalf of the Council are part of the local authority’s £1.3bn regeneration of the area to provide much needed affordable housing.  

The project is part of the major transformation of Granton Waterfront to create a new coastal town in the north of the city with tenants and homeowners also due to start moving into over 400 ‘net zero ready’ homes for social rent, mid-market rent and homes for sale at Western Villages throughout next year.  Work is also well underway to deliver a further 143 ‘net zero ready’ social and mid-market rent homes at Silverlea due for completion in Summer 2026.

Granton Station View was supported by of over £6.6m funding from the Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Programme (ASHP).  

Other innovative features in the development include an underground waste collection system, cycle parking twice the capacity of the residents living there and links to existing and established walking, cycling and wheeling routes.

Three commercial spaces are also situated underneath the homes at Granton Station View providing business and employment opportunities for the area. Two of the spaces have recently been let out ensuring that residents of Granton Station View will have access to a local convenience store with a post office and a fitness gym.

As well as delivering over 3,500 ‘net zero’ homes in the next 10 years, the wider £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration will include a primary school, a health centre, commercial and cultural space as well as a new public park at the iconic Granton Gasholder, currently being restored.

Council leader Cammy Day said:

Today’s announcement is welcome news as the housing emergency we declared last year means we have a chronic shortage of housing in the city.

Despite Scottish Government cuts in affordable housing, the homes at Granton Station View are part of an exciting pilot project which will not just help us ease this shortage but will provide many individuals and families with comfortable modern homes using the very latest technology to keep energy bills down.

I wish everyone moving into Granton Station View well and look forward to seeing hundreds of other individuals and families move into the high-quality homes we are delivering at Western Villages and Silverlea as part of our wider £1.3bn regeneration of Granton Waterfront.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said:

I am pleased that the City of Edinburgh Council has delivered 75 high-quality, energy-efficient homes for social and Mid-Market Rent in Granton. These homes were backed by over £6.6 million of Scottish Government funding and they will help to meet the needs of the local community for generations to come, whilst supporting Scotland’s net-zero ambitions.

We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032 with at least 70% for social rent and 10% in our rural and island communities.

CCG (Scotland) Managing Director, David Wylie, said:

Scotland is in a housing emergency and our planet is in the midst of a climate emergency. Both issues are some of the most challenging that will face this generation and it is fundamental that we tackle both in equal measure by delivering more, sustainable homes like we have here at Granton Station View.

Through our own, pioneering construction methods and a new delivery model that focuses on streamlined procurement and collaborative working, we have unlocked brownfield land and evidenced that a just net zero transition is achievable, the needs of our communities can be met, and our carbon impact can be significantly lowered.

We thank the partners of the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme for their support during construction, and we look forward to continuing our work with the Council at Western Villages where a further 444 net zero ready homes, including 56 for sale from CCG Homes, will be completed in 2025.

As part of this programme, in Edinburgh, there are also 140 affordable homes being built in Greendykes which will be ready in 2027 and another 40 affordable homes currently being designed for Burdiehouse Crescent. These homes will have similar energy saving features.

Up to £50 million to unlock new housing

Up to £50 million will be given to councils and social landlords to build housing infrastructure which will help deliver new homes across the country.

Over the next five years grants from the Scottish Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund will be used to build infrastructure to serve new housing developments and create new, stronger communities.

The first grant, worth nearly £5 million was awarded today to Fife Council to support delivery of 8,000 new homes across Dunfermline as part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region City Deal.

This will be the second round of the fund, which has awarded £48 million in loans and grants since 2016, helping deliver up to 12,000 new homes. 

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said:

“This funding allows local authorities and registered social landlords to build crucial infrastructure which will unlock new building development sites, helping speed up the delivery of housing.

“It is fitting that this fund is launching in Challenge Poverty Week, as housing can play a vital role in tackling poverty. We want everyone in Scotland to have a warm, safe, affordable home that meets their needs, and these grants will be crucial in helping us achieve our target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, building on our success in delivering more than 103,000 since 2007.

“The first grant for housing infrastructure projects in Dunfermline shows our continued support for City Region Deals, helping boost economic growth and create new jobs. The Scottish Government is investing £300 million in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City region over 15 years, supporting housing, innovation, transport, skills and culture.”

Cllr David Alexander, Fife Council Co-leader, said:

“I would like to thank the Planning Services for the hard work it has put into progressing this proposal over the last two years. 

“As a council we will deliver a major investment programme in strategic transportation infrastructure in Dunfermline to support the delivery of affordable homes and wider development. Such investment will accelerate inclusive growth, create new economic opportunities, and new jobs that will help to reduce inequalities in the Dunfermline area and beyond.”

Cllr David Ross, Fife Council Co-Leader, said:

“This is one of the key benefits we are getting from the City Region Deal and is crucial to Dunfermline’s development. The Dunfermline strategic development programme will not only assist Fife’s post-COVID-19 economic recovery but will also unlock the delivery of up to 2,000 affordable houses.

“This infrastructure is essential to facilitating and delivering the council’s adopted Local Development Plan sites as part of the strategic growth of Dunfermline and to assist in achieving Plan4Fife, Fife’s Local Outcome Improvement Plan, outcomes. The Housing Infrastructure Fund will facilitate investment in essential new strategic transportation infrastructure in the Dunfermline area."

Background

City Region Deals are packages of funding and decision-making powers agreed between the Scottish Government, the UK Government and local partners.

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City region City Deal is now worth £1.33 billion, with the Scottish and UK Governments investing £300 million each over 15 years and regional partners committing a further £730 million.