City housing service gets best rating

THE city council's housing service has been rated the best in Scotland.

The accolade comes after the Scottish Housing Regulator carried out an inspection earlier this year which saw the council awarded an A grade for housing management and a B grade for asset management and repairs.

An A grade for homelessness had previously been awarded, giving the council an AAB grading - the highest among Scotland 32 local authorities.

City Housing leader, Paul Edie, said: "These gradings are thoroughly deserved and our excellent staff should be congratulated.

"The regulators' assessment can be added to a number of other important results that services for communities has achieved: the number of tenants evicted from their homes is at a record low, homelessness has fallen for the fourth year running in spite of the dire economic circumstances and work is due to start on the first new Council homes for a generation.

"We are committed to providing tenants in Edinburgh with excellent housing services and here is independent proof that we are meeting that goal."