Consultation and Engagement Hub

Every year the City of Edinburgh Council’s housing rent consultation gathers tenant views on their experience of the housing service and presents options for setting the next year’s rent levels.

This year tenants were presented with three rent increase options: 4.1%, 5.0% and 8.4%.  The consultation explained the impact the different options would have on delivery of key commitments, including meeting Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing 2 (EESSH2) and our ability to build new homes.

In addition, we also asked whether tenants would agree with a higher rent ‘premium’ being charged for newly built and/or newly modernised social rented homes.

With many tenants experiencing increased financial pressures as a result of the pandemic and recent cost-of-living crisis, the consultation also asked about tenants’ experiences when seeking advice and support to pay their rents and suggestions for improvement.

We received 1,159 responses through our online and postal survey.  This was the highest number of responses ever received and was a 160% increase from the previous high of 445 received for the 2022/23 budget consultation. 

We also received 1,000 responses through a dedicated telephone survey of randomly selected tenants, who were asked the same rent related questions as those in the online and postal survey. 

After the removal of duplicated entries from tenants who responded through the online/postal survey as well as the commissioned phone survey, just under 2,100 (around 10% of all tenants) responses were considered. It should be noted that not all tenants answered all of the questions.

Of the three rent increase options consulted on, around two thirds of respondents (66%) voted for a 4.1% per year rent increase for the next five years, 25% of respondents voted for a 5.0% per year rent increase for the next five years, and 9% voted for 8.4% per year rent increase for the next five years.

Comments from tenants showed that there was understanding of the need to increase rents to pay for the increased costs. However, financial pressure from the cost-of-living crisis and affordability remained a concern to some tenants. Some tenants felt that rent should only be increased if the standards of homes, repairs and services were improved.

Nearly 60% of the respondents agreed that the Council should consider charging a higher rent for new built homes (26%), newly modernised homes (3%) or both new built and newly modernised homes (29%). While there was general support for continuing investment on building new homes, tenants believed investment priority should be given to improving existing homes.

The rent consultation also found that just over a third (34%) of the respondents had found it more difficult to pay their rent over the last 12 months, but only 42% of them had sought advice or help to assist with paying the rents.  For those who had sought advice or help, the majority (55%) were very or fairly satisfied that the assistance they received met their needs. Tenants commented that it was important to promote the advice and support available regularly and that the information needed to be more accessible.

The Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Budget Strategy 2024/25 - 2028/29 was considered by City of Edinburgh Council at its budget meeting on 22 February 2024.

After two years of rent freezes followed by a 3% rent increase last year, officers recommended that rents be increased by 8.4% in 2024/25 (year one of a five-year rent strategy; requiring annual increases of 8.4% for the subsequent four years).  This was in order to deliver the pre-Covid investment plan and ensure the HRA remained in a healthy financial position.

Council agreed a 7% rent increase for each of the next five years in 2024/25 to 2028/29, with an assumption that 7% a year rent increase over the following five years would also be required to achieve the outputs indicated in the draft ten-year capital investment programme – to bring all Council homes up to Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing 2 (EESSH2) standards over the lifetime of the business plan and deliver 3,560 new social rented homes over the next ten years.

Council also approved the continuation of the Tenant Hardship Fund to support tenants experiencing financial hardship, including those who cannot access benefits.

We undertook a consultation to determine the level of support for a range of proposals to be included within the Activity Hub re-development of the disused bowling greens at Leith Links. This consultation also explored feedback and opinions towards transforming the pavilion into a café, toilet and community space. Prior to the survey on our consultation hub we delivered an activity hub consultation day at the bowling greens at Leith Links where we engaged a range of groups and local people and publicised the activity hub development. Some of these organisations and groups based in and around Leith included:

• Community council
• YMCA
• Earth in Common
• Primary and Secondary schools
• Area Councillors
• Local residents

This consultation progresses the original 2022 Leith Links masterplan which proposed the re-development of the bowling greens into an Activity Hub.

We held a public consultation on the proposed designs for the Activity Hub between 6 September 2023 and 21 October 2023.  

• Over 100 people attended our Activity Hub consultation day at the Leith Links bowling greens on 9 September 2023.
• 1082 people responded to our consultation via the hub.
• 92% of responses strongly agreed or agreed with transforming the vacant pavilion into a café with community space and toilets.
• 51% of responses strongly agreed or agreed that the café should have multiple levels.
• 84% of responses supported the proposed designs for the activity hub.
• 90% of responses strongly agreed or agreed that the activity proposals suit a range of user groups of different ages, abilities and interests.
• In addition to the skatepark which was already consulted on as part of the Leith Links Masterplan, the top 3 ranked activities for the hub were a pump track/bike trail, bouldering rocks and roller rink, respectively.
• Significant themes from feedback stressed the importance of incorporating biodiversity elements, including social seating, managing noise and ensuring that the space can be used for adults as well as children.

We would like to thank everyone who responded to the consultation.

We have already considered the comments and how to reflect them in the design. Where this is not possible, we will explore how other areas of the park can be adapted to accommodate some of these suggestions.

Our next step is updating the plans to take to Planning Committee early next year. After planning consent our focus will be on securing funding to take forward detailed designs and deliver the scheme. Further updates on this will be published on www.thrivinggreenspaces.scot

We undertook a consultation exercise on the draft West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework and Strategic Masterplan (WEPFSM).

We asked for comments on various parts of the WEPFSM including what is good about the area; what are the challenges, sustainability; green blue network and landscape; open space, play and recreation; connectivity, access, movement and parking; living well locally; and creating a distinctive place.

The consultation took place for 12 weeks between 12 July 2023 and 4 October 2023.

There was engagement via the questionnaire on the Consultation Hub, a staffed pop-up session, a drop-in exhibition and two online webinars. Young people were engaged at three events in local schools and there was a presentation to Corstorphine Community Council. There were also discussions with a range of consultees and stakeholders.

• 173 people responded to our consultation via the Consultation Hub.
• Over 50 people attended the drop-in information session.
• Over 160 young people were involved in the school engagement exercises.
• There were concerns about the principle of developing the site and the loss of green space.
• The increase in traffic was the main concern and that development will bring further congestion to the area.
• Making sure public transport is there from the start was important.
• Needs better designed and safe cycle paths, walkways and crossings that meet the needs of different people.
• Having a range of local amenities nearby needs to be a priority with overall support for a 20 minute neighbourhood approach.
• Importance of delivering a range of homes that are affordable.
• Needs to be as much green space as possible but they need to be fit for different uses and be inclusive.
• Suggested a range of place names.

We would like to thank everyone who responded to the consultation and attended the events.

We have revised the WEPFSM and we took it to Planning Committee on 19 December 2023 where it was approved. You can see all the associated papers (including the consultation report) and view the webcast of the meeting on our Committee meetings webpage.

We considered all the responses and took them into account when thinking about the revised version of the WEPFSM.

The main changes were:

• Ensuring active travel and public transport remain core to the WEPFSM; and that the roads, path network and connections support this approach.
• Recognising the needs of everyone within the future community in terms of open space, uses and services.
• Adjusting the Airport area so uses such as town centre are not shown within it.
• More developed options for the Gogar Burn.
• Making the WEPFSM more concise and improving the illustrations
• Making the phasing requirements clearer

The WEPFSM is now planning guidance that will shape the future development of West Edinburgh as required by Place Policy 16 in City Plan 2030. It will be a material consideration as future planning applications come forward for the area.