Affordable housing to be built at old ERI site

 New buildings built at Quarter Mile, Lauriston

Hillcrest Housing Association is to build 174 new homes at the old ERI site now called Quartermile. So far luxury and exclusive flats, offices and shops have been built here and some apartments stretching into over £1/2 million.  The old nursing home, which was a listed building was demolished for glass cubes.  However this is good news that new homes are being built.

Lead architect Graeme Armet said: "The 174 affordable housing units are based around a central courtyard with as many balconies and external amenity spaces as we could achieve.

"It is cut away in the south-west corner because we wanted the sunlight and daylight to penetrate the central courtyard and for the units to have as many views across the Meadows as was possible."

Whilst affordable housing is welcome it is hoped that there will be rented secure tenancies offered to families, it is hoped that the homes don't start of as affordable but slowly escalate into expensive holiday lets or buy to let with landlords charging inflated rents.  We hope these homes can be protected to be affordable homes for more than just a couple of years.  The Old Town of Edinburgh has lost the bulk of its affordable housing through the right to buy where once council tenancies for families have been turned into unregulated hotels aka holiday lets.

The City of Edinburgh Council, through the Scottish Government backed affordable housing investment programme will be given £7 m worth of funding.

It was reported in the Edinburgh Evening Newws that Emma Hutchison, Hillcrest's business development manager, said: "We feel that the design perfectly complements the wider Quartermile development. We are providing a range of affordable housing which includes wheelchair accessible and elderly amenity flats.

"We are also providing larger family homes with dedicated terraced spaces which will benefit from magnificent views."

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's housing leader, said: "There is a desperate shortage of affordable housing in the Capital with an estimated 15,800 affordable homes needed over the next ten years.

"Many people cannot afford to get on the property ladder but developments like these represent a lifeline to them."

Patrick Geddes Gardening Club January Meeting

One of Patrick Geddes orginal gardens now the Scottish Wildlife Trust smallest reserve on Patrick Geddes Steps of Johnstone Terrace

The Patrick Geddes Gardening Club is to meet on Monday 24th January 2011 at Edinburgh's Larder, Blackfriars Street at 19:00 to 21:00.  Teas and coffe are on sale.

More information on Edinburgh's Larder here

The Patrick Geddes Gardening Club is the Green Sub Group of the Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust, we hope to create a network of gardens inspired by Patrick Geddes vision, to create a unique biosphere in the Old Town of Edinburgh.

We are meeting to discuss Granny's Green in the Grassmarket and our attempts to create a garden there in collaboration with the Grassmarket Mission, Edinburgh World Heritage Trust and the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership.

You can see a photo of Granny's Green here

We will also be discussing other potential gardens in the Old Town

If you are interested in gardening - you don't need to have any gardening skills or even have gardened before - then please come along.

If you would like to go on the mailing list of the Patrick Geddes Gardening Club please email PGGC@yahoo.co.uk

Granton Development Trust

The Granton sur Mer project are having an Open Community Meeting on Thursday 27 January at The Lighthouse, West Harbour Road. 

Residents, community organisation and business owners are invited to a meeting to discuss the possibility of establishing a development trust.

 Joined Up Master Planning, or JUMP, developed the plans for the Granton sur Mer project, which would see an area close to West Shore Road revamped, with an open-air swimming pool and community arts facility.

It said last summer it was finding it hard to attract investment for the £2 million plan because the city council did not want to give it a one-year option on the site. It hopes that setting up a development trust - a formal body of community members, which could lead the redevelopment - would make it easier to attract funding. It could also lead development projects in other areas.

An informal drop-in will start at 4pm, with a meeting and question and answer session from 6pm to 8pm. For more information call 0131-555 2280 or 0775-261 2607.

City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership seeking your views - complete the survey

Edinburgh is split up into Neighbourhood Partnership, the Old Town is based in the City Centre Neighbourhood.  Currently the Neighbourhood Partnership are seeking your views.  It would be good if many people completed the survey - feel free to use the blank boxes to get the matters you think are important to be included.

You can find the survey here

Your City Centre Your Views 2011-2014

19 January 2011

What are your priorities for the city centre? Take the survey and tell us what you think.

We would like everyone who lives, works, studies or visits the city centre to tell us their views on what the City Centre Neighbourhood Partnership can best do to improve the area over the next three years, 2011-14.
What do you think can make the city centre cleaner, greener, safer, better?
We are developing our new Community Plan which will prioritise the main issues you tell us are important to you. To help us do this, please take a few minutes to complete our survey. By clicking on the link below you will be taken to the survey page where you can access it:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/info/20056/city_centre_neighbourhood/1293/your_city_centre_your_views_2011_consultation
Your responses will help us improve the city centre for everyone
For more details, please contact Alan Dean on 529-7519 or alan.dean@edinburgh.gov.uk     

Rubbish, rubbish every where!

Have you had problems with your rubbish?  Old Town reisents and businesses are struggling with rubbish bags waiting to be collected before Christmas - read more about it here

Tell us if you have in the comments box

Gerry Rafferty singing The Royal Mile

Gerry Rafferty died today - January 4th 2011, so in his memory we thought we would post his song Royal Mile with a wee slide show off the Roayl Mile, Edinburgh

Happy 2011 and welcome to the blog

Happy New Year and welcome to the Edinburgh Old Town Development Trust blog.

The blog is to share stories and ideas about Edinburgh's Old Town but more importantly about news from the development trust.

If you have a story for us or something you want to say please email the editor on eotdt@yahoo.co.uk