City of Edinburgh Council have broken ground at the net zero housing development in Granton, getting Scotland’s largest development of the kind underway.
Councillor Jane Meagher visited the site of the Western Villages project to help begin the construction works, whilst being joined by the council’s development and regeneration team, the contractor, and the architect.
Cllr Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:
“We are so proud to lead the country’s biggest net zero housing development and to break ground today.
“With an ambitious target to become a net zero city by 2030, this first phase of Granton Waterfront will act as a blueprint for future sustainable development and help Scotland transition towards a greener economy. This housing is going to provide hundreds of affordable homes, right at the centre of what will be Edinburgh’s newest neighbourhood – offering a fantastically lively, active, and sustainable waterfront lifestyle for everyone who moves in.
“People moving in will benefit from a real 20-minute neighbourhood, with great progress being made in our £13 billion wider regeneration project including a growing cultural and arts cluster in the area, after we announced works to refurbish the former Granton Station building into a creative workspace, as well as a new creative and community hub at 20 West Shore Road by Edinburgh Palette. It’s also great to see the iconic Granton Gasholder is being brought back to life – now illuminated in solidarity with Ukraine it is set to be fully restored and opened as a public amenity space.
“The operators of the Pitt Street market have also announced their plans to take up new residence here, with more than half of all stalls to be led by start-ups and entrepreneurs, and we’re only going to see more and more new services, businesses, and creative endeavours choose Granton. This is the start of an exciting new chapter for the city and for how we build new homes and new neighbourhoods and I look forward to seeing it all take shape.”
Costing £72 million, the project will deliver 3,500 homes over the next decade, with a mixture of the kinds of housing being provided. Wheelchair accessible homes and mixtures of one, two and three-bedroom homes will all be available for either social rent, mid-market rent, and private sale.
The net zero side of the project will be achieved through improving thermal performance, air-source heat pumps and renewable sources of energy. There will also be provision for electric vehicle charging and a greater emphasis on active travel, such as walking and cycling.
