Work begins on affordable homes project

Published on Wednesday 15 October 2008 10:22

NEW images of the city's biggest affordable housing project were released today as construction work got under way.

The 12.8 million scheme at Western Harbour involves building 102 new flats, which will all be for social rent.

The development, by the Port of Leith Housing Association, is due to be completed in stages, with the final homes finished by autumn 2010.

It is designed to transform a piece of derelict land on Newhaven Place, and is part of the regeneration of the harbour area.

At the same time, the housing association – working with landowner Forth Ports – plans to build another 118 homes at a neighbouring site next year. Together, the two schemes will create the city's single largest affordable housing estate.

The housing association today said the economic slowdown had led to an increased demand in the rental market, and the cheaper price of land means they are hoping to buy even more sites for future development.

The credit crunch has brought the city's construction industry to a virtual standstill, but that means the council and its partners can now compete on a more equal footing when purchasing land – then develop it for affordable housing.

The association, founded in 1976 to refurbish the old tenements of Leith, is now one of Edinburgh's largest not-for-profit housing providers. It is also building new flats for rent at Buchanan Street, Elliot Street and Henderson Street.

Chairman Jack Hunter said: "We will take advantage of the drop in land prices to expand our housebuilding programme and accelerate the supply of homes to rent.

"(The Western Harbour project] will be a landmark development bringing together the old and new communities of Leith. The scheme will provide highly efficient homes with low energy costs, and includes a ground source heat pump and state-of-the-art levels of insulation."

When it was approved by planners last year, it was hailed as "part of the answer" to the city's affordable housing shortage.

Only two objections were received, on the grounds that the scheme did not contain any private housing and would therefore bring down the market value of surrounding properties. The complaints also concerned potential noise and pollution issues.