MoD urged to donate army homes to city

Edinburgh West SNP MSP Colin Keir today called on the Ministry of Defence to allow the city council to take over some of the property which will become available with the closure of army bases in the Capital.

He claimed the MoD should make a significant lasting contribution to the city as it prepared to close the Craigiehall headquarters near Cramond and the Redford and Dreghorn barracks.

He is writing to the MoD, Scottish Government and council chiefs about some of the army properties being made available to the council or housing associations for use as and conversion to social housing.

He said: "The Ministry of Defence's decision to leave Edinburgh leaves a hole in large parts of the city. MoD accommodation in Edinburgh ranges from family houses to barracks accommodation.

"Providing good-quality social housing would see the MoD helping the city and residents gaining from the MoD's decision to leave the barracks."