The West Craigs £80m Edinburgh affordable housing development will create 425 energy-efficient homes under the supervision of the Wheatley Group
238 homes available via the Wheatley Group will be for social rent and 187 homes for mid-market rent.
These houses will be divided between Wheatley Homes East, responsible for the social rent units, and Lowther, both of which are divisions within the Wheatley Group.
Affordable housing developments are essential in 2023
The Housing Minister, Paul McLennan, recently visited the development.
During the tour, he was accompanied by Jo Armstrong, chair of the Wheatley Group, Steven Henderson, chief executive of the Wheatley Group, and Helen Howden, vice-chair of Wheatley Homes East. Councillor Jane Meagher, who chairs the Housing, Homelessness, and Fair Work Committee at the City of Edinburgh Council, also joined the tour.
“The right to a warm, safe, and affordable home is critical to wellbeing and is a right everyone deserves. Wheatley Group plays a significant role in increasing the range of housing available to rent throughout Scotland,” said McLennan.
“The Scottish Government is supporting this new build development with over £41m. This will enable the Wheatley Group to provide 425 high quality energy-efficient affordable homes here at West Craigs.” He added.
Accessible housing will be part of the development
The affordable housing development will offer a variety of two to four-bedroom houses, one to three-bedroom flats, and 19 homes designed for wheelchair users.
3 Livingwell homes will be on offer for older tenants, along with 19 flats catering to individuals with complex needs.
The project has received support from the Scottish Government via the City of Edinburgh Council. These properties will contribute to the city’s demand for affordable housing and offer eco-friendly features such as solar panels, advanced insulation, energy-efficient boilers, and electric vehicle charging stations.
Providing Edinburgh with 425 much-needed homes
“We were delighted to welcome the Housing Minister to West Craigs and to see how we are turning our mission of ‘Better Homes, Better Lives’ into reality,” said Wheatley Group chief executive Steven Henderson.
“Working with our partners in the Scottish Government and the City of Edinburgh Council, we will be able to create 425 much-needed affordable homes in a highly desirable part of the country,” he added.
The affordable housing development comes as part of a larger plan to bring 1200 homes available for private sale in Scotland. Wheatley Homes is also planning to build new shops, two public parks, and a primary school in Edinburgh.
The initial phase of Wheatley Homes in West Craigs is scheduled for completion by the end of 2024.
“High-quality housing is a key pillar of Housing to 2040, whilst also eradicating fuel poverty and homelessness and ensuring everyone has access to green space and essential services, and I welcome the opportunity to see for myself the construction of these much-needed new affordable homes here in Edinburgh” concluded McLennan.
