Council Leader Jane Meagher writes in today's Evening News about great progress on regeneration in the north of the Capital.
Our ambitious £1.3bn project in the north of the Capital to create a new coastal town at Granton Waterfront is taking another significant step forward.
It is one of the largest regeneration projects of its kind in Scotland and it is truly innovative, using land previously occupied by industry. The final business case sets out a total cost of £140m over 10 years, partly funded by Scottish Government grants of over £60m. This will be used to deliver works to enable the construction of over 200 homes for social rent. If approved at next month’s meeting of the City of Edinburgh Council, our development partner Cruden will start work early next year to clean up the land we’re using and transform it into an exciting new environmentally friendly neighbourhood. Our money will help unlock a further £150m in private sector investment to the area.
By 2033, nearly 900 much needed new homes will be built and fitted with air source heat pumps providing residents with new, warm, energy efficient housing, which should help to keep their energy bills down.
Helping to address our housing emergency, nearly half of the homes will be affordable with over 200 for council rent, with the other homes rented below the market rate and some for sale. Importantly, some are being designed for families who require wheelchair access.
Creating a real sense of place, the plans include new shops and leisure facilities, improved public transport provision, wheeling, cycling and walking paths and, through a separate contract, the delivery of a new school.
Work has already begun to regenerate the area and a new walking, wheeling and cycling route linking Pennywell Roundabout and The Promenade at Gypsy Brae is due to be officially opened next month. People are now enjoying living in the hundreds of quality affordable homes we’ve already built at Granton Station View and Western Villages and earlier this year Gasholder Park 1 opened with a fun family day following the successful restoration of the old gasworks.
Although we are bringing new life to the area and creating new modern homes and facilities for residents and visitors to enjoy, it’s important to celebrate the history of Granton Waterfront and protect its built heritage.
This week we announced external funding of almost £3m from the Heritage and Place Programme (Historic Environment Scotland and National Lottery Heritage Fund).
The money will be used to carefully restore Madelvic House, Granton Lighthouse, the Granton Station building platforms and Granton Castle Walled Garden.
In creating this new inclusive, environmentally friendly neighbourhood, we aim to help reduce child poverty and address the nature and climate emergencies we face locally and globally.
Our investment in this major project for Edinburgh further reinforces our approach across the city to achieve low carbon, affordable living for as many of our residents as possible. Our aim is to make Edinburgh more inclusive and well connected, to support prosperity and wellbeing for those in the Granton Waterfront area and across the city region.