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The Herald Scotland
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Edinburgh's West Town: A new city rising – or a chance slipping away?
All of this is slated for West Edinburgh, an area stretching from Maybury out to the airport, close to the tram line and the A8. A new community of high-quality homes and green space. This west Edinburgh story is only just beginning and for several reasons it should be one of the most notable developments in the whole of the UK. The population of Scotland's capital is growing. And the demand for housing, whether rented or owner-occupied, is soaring. Renters need them. Buyers want them. Businesses demand them. Politicians talk about them. Frank O'Donnell (Image: Handout) In short, it's the subject that (almost) everyone agrees on: we need more houses to underpin economic growth, not only in rural areas but also in our cities. Planning permission has already been granted for homes in the Garden District. In December permission was granted for a further 10,000 homes alongside the tram line to the Airport in two developments known as West Town and Elements Edinburgh. But progress remains painfully slow. There has been much talk about Scotland (and Britain's) cumbersome planning system. A system that seems to revel in delay, one that sometimes appears to prioritise red tape, and even wildlife, over people. And one which often drives international investment elsewhere. This is partly true. We do need faster decisions. But that's only half the story. After planning, housebuilders need to pay money to the local authority towards the building of schools, health centres and public transport, known as Section 75 contributions. Few would argue with this as a principle. Why should Edinburgh City Council foot the bill to upgrade roads and build new schools? But the level of contributions in Edinburgh are now leaving developers struggling for breath and unable to see a way forward. The contributions, which run into tens of millions for some developments, are now a significant barrier to spades in the ground. But this is not all. Finding the construction companies that are able to take on the work is also a challenge, contributing further to delays and increased costs. If you are already a homeowner in Edinburgh you might shrug your shoulders and ask: 'so what if some new houses are delayed?' But the chronic shortage of housing – estimated at over 100,000 in Scotland since the financial crash in 2008 – is acting as a drag on investment and jobs for Scotland's economy which affects us all. More than this, good quality housing is central to a fairer, sustainable and thriving Scottish economy and society. In Edinburgh, the issue is particularly acute. Read more from our Future of Edinburgh series The city's private rented sector has the highest rents in Scotland and soaring rental inflation is pushing families towards an already overstretched social sector, and in some cases to homelessness. In Edinburgh the average house price is almost 80% higher than the Scottish average. In the private rented sector, the average three bed rental price is around £1450 per month, £300 higher than the Scottish average. The Scottish Housing Regulator has stated that the housing system in Edinburgh is in systemic failure, with further pressures looming related to asylum and refugee arrivals in the city. For more than 20 years Edinburgh has largely subcontracted its needs for new homes to local authority neighbours in West, East and Midlothian. Cross the city boundary to the south around Gilmerton and Dalkeith and you quickly get a flavour of this. And it's continuing. In 2024, East Lothian and Midlothian had the highest rate of new build completions in Scotland. While this has helped to meet demand – a great number of families living outside the city are commuting back into the city daily for work. This puts pressure on road and increases air pollution. Housing emergency It is now 19 months since Edinburgh formally declared a Housing Emergency in the city. The Scottish Government followed with a national housing emergency in May 2024. The word emergency typically implies a need for immediate action and evokes images of stop-everything-else-and-deal-with-this. There should be sirens but the silence is deafening. Instead of an emergency imagine a piece of paper sitting in an in-tray for two months, followed by an oblique and unhelpful response delivered via second class post. Declaring an emergency could have been a useful vehicle to catalyse urgent action. Instead it is becoming a policy joke that isn't very funny. The problem is acute in rural areas where a lack of homes threatens to stall Scotland's economic growth and our ability to take advantage of the growth in renewable energy. But in Scotland's capital the issue is, for different reasons, especially problematic. Leadership There is no shortage of goodwill. Paul Lawrence, the new chief executive of Edinburgh City Council, came from economic development and understands only too well the importance of getting this right. And that doing so, would likely mark his tenure as a major success. The Scottish Government, the UK government and the industry are all making the right noises. What is absent is real knock-heads-together leadership of the kind we see in English cities like Manchester. A structure which allows one department to get everyone around the table to work through problems and move things on. Right now, this feels like a system problem with no clear way forward. There isn't even a national housebuilding target in Scotland, unlike in England. And yet Scotland does have examples of success. Look west at the Clyde Gateway project and you will see progress across local authority boundaries, and real positivity and leadership. Perhaps we need west Edinburgh to be renamed Forth Gateway – or something more imaginative. West Edinburgh could be a model of modern, green, high-density, liveable city planning – the kind of place other countries write case studies about. The opportunity is clear. Act now, or the prize of a new urban district – and all it could deliver – will slip through our fingers. Frank O'Donnell is a former editor of the Edinburgh Evening News and The Scotsman, and a senior partner with Charlotte Street Partners
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
George Street revamp: How pedestrianisation plan could be scaled-back
The existing plans include widened and de-cluttered pavements, landscaped seating areas and a central, six-metre-wide cycleway. The council says the changes will create a 'greener, safer, accessible place for everyone to enjoy' in the heart of the city. However, there is growing scepticism over the affordability of the scheme and uncertainty over funding sources, while political support in the City Chambers is wavering. City of Edinburgh Council transport convener, Labour's Stephen Jenkinson, told The Herald he believed it remained a 'project worth backing' but stressed a balance had to be struck between 'doing something that's realistic and doing something that's worthy'. The plan involves widening pavements and building a cycle superhighway along the length of George Street (Image: City of Edinburgh Council) Councillors on the transport committee will consider a report with 'gold standard, silver standard and bronze standard' options at the end of June as they look to finalise the street's redesign, he said. But rising costs and the risk of further delays could lead elected members to abandon the project altogether. Cllr Jenkinson added: 'I want to try and get ourselves into a position where we have a kind of consensus with what we should do with George Street going forward. Ultimately I might not be able to get it. I think it'll be difficult to get the consensus because various parties have clearly articulated their positions on George Street and we'll have to see where we end up.' According to sources, the report will present three options: proceeding with the current plan - previously costed at £39m but now expected to rise; a reduced-scope alternative - estimated between £20m and £30m - that omits tree planting, includes Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM), and removes the existing setts in the central carriageway; and a 'do minimum' option, involving upgraded and widened footways along with previously-agreed operational changes, at an estimated cost of around £15m. All would include around £9m for diverting underground utilities. A fourth option is expected to propose only removing parking from the street. Read more from The Herald's Future of Edinburgh series: The last update to councillors, in September, revealed a funding shortfall of around £14m. It is anticipated that income from the city's new visitor levy could help bridge the gap, alongside further funding bids to the Scottish Government and the National Lottery's heritage fund. Officials have previously argued the scheme represents 'great value,' noting that approximately £30m would still need to be spent on resurfacing George Street's roads and pavements — even if the wider public realm revamp is scrapped. 'There's external funding that would have to come in at various points to help fund this project,' Cllr Jenkinson said, 'and when you're looking for external funding, predominantly Scottish Government money, you're up against other public realm projects across the country. 'So if you are actually going and asking for support for a project which isn't particularly inspiring it's going to be harder to secure any finance, never mind the finance you need, to deliver it. The plan would create more space for pedestrians on George Street (Image: Gordon Terris) 'I would like to think one of the most important streets in Scotland's capital city would be up there with any other public realm project in the country. What we actually want is somewhere for people to walk about, enjoy, sit and enjoy a beer or coffee or whatever. We have to design for the future, not the past.' The transport chief admitted the pace of delivery was 'too slow' and said he was 'focused on moving forward'. It's currently anticipated work could start in 2027 and take two years to complete. 'We're all fully aware the financial framework we're working in is tightening, it's not getting any easier to deliver anything,' he said. 'I'm a realist and I think it's important that you do what you can to ensure the projects you're looking to develop are the right ones and are delivered correctly for the right amount of money.' A recent council report setting out infrastructure projects to be prioritised proposed 'proceeding' with George Street's overhaul, noting it 'may be eligible for National Lottery Heritage funding'. 'How not to manage a project' Jo Mowat, Scottish Conservatives councillor for Edinburgh City Centre, said George Street had been an exercise in 'how not to manage a project'. The plan has 'shape-shifted according to where the funding is coming from,' she said, adding the council has been 'at the mercy of what the Scottish Government will fund through its arms-length [active travel] organisation Sustrans'. Cllr Mowat said as a result too much emphasis has been put on creating a 'cycle superhighway' and this 'comprised the design of the street'. Read more from our new investigation: '[George Street] is not really a particular transport link because of the squares at either end, so for it to become the main cycling connection would be awkward for cyclists who like to go in very straight lines,' she said. 'When you look at traditionally how the street has been used and what people want to do and think back from those first principles, this was designed as a place for people to promenade and gather. "You've got shopping but also institutions, the Assembly Rooms, churches, you've got these places where people gather, and obviously now you've got restaurants and bars. So this is a place for people to gather.' Asked if the project was now doomed, as some have suggested, she said: 'I think it's really difficult to ride back from it, but I don't see how we're going to pay for it. I would be really concerned you would start something you can't finish. 'I suspect it will be scaled back and it won't be quite what it is now — and that might not necessarily be a bad thing.' 'We're expecting it to be a cheaper version' How to most effectively execute the street's pedestrianisation with minimal disruption to businesses and residents in the city centre has been a long-running debate in the capital. 'I think about 20 years ago I was attending meetings about this,' said David Hunter, convener of Living Streets Edinburgh. 'One of the things I think is really unfortunate about George Street is there's been so many consultations and so many workshops, if nothing happens now it's very difficult to get people motivated to come and talk about the same topic they've talked about half a dozen or more times, often being told 'this time we're really going to do it'. So there's going to be diminishing engagement and trust.' Mr Hunter said it was an inescapable fact that 'money is going to be tight,' but added the plan for George Street suffered from the same problems as many major projects which are 'over-designed, over-engineered and too expensive'. He said: 'We can actually achieve quite a lot of improvements without spending 20, 30, 40 million pounds on schemes. 'Everyone is really a bit ashamed of George Street as it currently is in terms of how it could be. I think we're expecting, assuming some measure of pedestrianisation does go forward. I think we're expecting it to be a cheaper version. I think doing things quickly and cheaply has got a lot going for it.' Like Councillor Mowat, Mr Hunter believes the cycleway should be dropped from the street's redesign. 'If you make traffic volumes low enough you don't need a cycleway, it should be safe to cycle in,' he said. The council has ambitious plans for George Street - but rising costs could mean cutting back (Image: City of Edinburgh Council) 'Generally, rather than just saying you need a segregated cycleway everywhere, a more radical solution is to reduce traffic to the levels people can cycle safely on the road. 'I would rather see a 90, 95% pedestrianised George Street that is overwhelmingly a pedestrian space for people to walk and wheel, rather than a street with a kind of cycle superhighway going through it. 'We have to be pragmatic about this.' 'This is the flagship street of the New Town' If works eventually commence, the diverse array of businesses and organisations operating on George Street will be most affected by the street being dug-up block-by-block. Dr William Duncan, who represents their views as chair of the George Street Association, said they've 'consistently been supportive' but a 'cloud of uncertainty' has hung over the scheme for years now. His advice to the council is 'spend the money now and spend it wisely'. 'I think the project has to go ahead,' he said. 'And corners will only build up future costs. 'If cutting back means cutting back on what happens underneath the roads and pavements, it's just building up problems for the future. 'Otherwise you're just going to have constant piecemeal disruption to the road. Because the city council's control over how utilities do that is limited and that's to do with statutory powers. The risk is that within a few months of a completed project things are being dug up again, there isn't the reinstatement back to the quality materials. 'If you're going to have a period of disruption of at least two years, if not a bit longer, people will be prepared to put up with the pain involved in that if they can then see a period of stability, it's been done well. What would be very unfortunate is a situation where each block of the street is done piecemeal and then we'll have to wait for more funding.' 'This is the flagship street of the New Town; it's the street they named after the King, it's the centre of a World Heritage Site. It needs to convey the message that it's been done. Read more: 'I think everyone understands that having cars coming into the city centre is no longer the direction of travel. The question is at what pace can you make these changes? What's also quite important is that there isn't just a big void in the middle of George Street and that it's a place where people feel they want to come to, where people feel they can relax.' Under the operational plan for a transformed George Street agreed by councillors in 2023, essential vehicle access such as for deliveries, servicing and licensed taxis will be given access during morning and evening hours and controlled by automated bollards. Private hire vehicles will be restricted from accessing George Street at all times, while exemptions will be permitted for coaches, minibuses and other vehicles deemed necessary to support the needs of hotels and places of worship. Blue badge holders will still have access 24/7 and will still be able to park in disabled bays on the street. Dr Duncan said this represented a 'huge improvement to the operational plan from when it was first mooted'. 'It was basically going to get rid of all the traffic from George Street, only emergency and blue badge holders - very little access. 'It's also got to be recognised that a lot of the buildings here are old, they need care and maintenance. That means trades have got to get to them, and you can't just say 'there will be no traffic whatsoever in the street'. 'It's how you also create an ambience where occasional vehicles that have to get into the street, cyclists and pedestrians can all feel they've got safety. 'Change of use won't suit everyone but we have to create a street after all the turmoil of the work that's done that really works well, that everyone thinks looks good, but actually isn't just a historic piece, is something that is a vibrant part of the city centre. He said the Transient Visitor Levy (TVL), which it is expected could raise an additional £50m for the city by the end of the decade, is a 'welcome addition to the funding available' however pointed out this was 'not yet a stabilised form of income'. 'The levy is going to largely come from people in the city centre. They need to feel that somehow there is something they are contributing to. 'The council is now looking for a multiplicity of funders,' he added. 'A potential funder is to do with the heritage. I think they will have to do an optimisation situation where those people who fund it feel they are getting their bit out of it. I think it will be quite difficult to persuade people this is a heritage project if it doesn't maintain the quality of the heritage.' 'The council lost control' Although the transformation may narrowly secure sufficient political and business support to proceed, questions remain about its broader public appeal. Chair of the New Town and Broughton Community Council, Peter Williamson, said he didn't think the proposals 'have ever had a lot of support'. The council has proposed pressing on with the pedestrianisation project despite funding uncertainty (Image: Gordon Terris) He said: 'I think people have got slightly sucked into once the ball starts rolling, you've got to get on the pitch and start playing. But you may not like the rules. 'My impression being outside certain people within the council there wasn't a sort of great lot of cheering and foot stamping for this. 'The council seemed to lose control because people started putting in bids for trees, certain types of pavings, kerbs that could be used by people with sight impairment and so on. At that point I think it all began to feel a bit of a mess. 'But the big issue is where's the money going to come from? And we think the council has embarked on a whole lot of major projects and hasn't really got any access to funds to support them. But obviously getting rid of the parking etcetera would open it up. 'Our board position is the council is going for these grand schemes, but is then ignoring maintenance of pavements, streets. So great, you're doing George Street, but if you walked along Rose Street, it's a disgrace. 'The council should concentrate on getting what currently exists up to a reasonable standard.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
'Do we want Edinburgh as a Harry Potter theme park?'
Regularly ranking among the world's best cities, boasting postcard-worthy views around virtually every corner, and hosting the globe's largest performing arts festival, The Fringe - alongside increasingly bustling Christmas markets - the city has become a year-round tourist destination for culture vultures, influencers, history buffs, and Harry Potter fans alike. This supports tens of thousands of jobs, stimulates significant investment in business and keeps Edinburgh squarely on the global map. But for the local population, especially in the city centre where the majority of visitors congregate, it often means overcrowded streets, an escalating cost of living and strained infrastructure. Balancing the mass tourism driving what some call Edinburgh's 'Disneyfication' - or perhaps more accurately, its Potterfication - with the needs of residents remains a key challenge for the city. The introduction of the UK's first Transient Visitor Levy (TVL), or 'tourist tax', comes as a direct response to these pressures. However, it is unlikely to be a silver bullet. In the second of an exclusive two-part interview for The Herald's series looking at the Future of Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh Council's leader Jane Meagher and chief executive Paul Lawrence reflected on the impact of tourism and opportunities of the forthcoming visitor levy. Councillor Meagher acknowledged there are a 'whole lot of issues relating to the city centre' as a result of Edinburgh's strong visitor economy. 'One concern is about managing what kind of city centre we want this to be,' she said, adding: 'Do we want it to be a Harry Potter theme park or do we want it to be a living city centre where people live and work? Read more from our Future of Edinburgh series: 'That's where things like the visitor levy come in. Clearly, one of the aims of the visitor levy is to make the visitor experience more sustainable. 'What that means is providing visitors with a reason to move outwith the city centre and go and visit Lauriston Castle, Craigmillar Castle, go and visit the other World Heritage Site out at Queensferry and take advantage of the shorefront that people can enjoy. 'What tends to happen is some people congregate around the Royal Mile to the exclusion of even places like the Botanical Gardens, so part of the visitor levy is going to be to make what we're packaging as sustainable. 'In other words, not concentrating on the middle of the city. 'As well as thinking about the city centre we need to bear in mind there are areas outwith the city centre that will become in their own right visitor venues. The Granton Gasholder is a recent excellent example of that park and its attractions.' The proliferation of city centre gift shops, sometimes dubbed 'tartan tat' retailers, is a hot button issue for locals in Edinburgh who complain about a lack of essential amenities like grocery stores in the centre of town. On this point, Meagher said: 'I think there's an overprovision of certain types of shop. I have friends, some of whom live at the foot of the Royal Mile, and it is quite difficult to find corner shops. I think we need a better mix.' Mr Lawrence agreed there are 'too many of a certain kind of retail offer in certain places' and said it was 'clear to see' this needed rebalancing. However, the council's chief officer contended Edinburgh has 'the best blend of restaurants, pubs and shops in the UK by a mile'. He said: 'A lot of places suffer from only having chain pubs, restaurants and so on. We have a thriving independent sector, which through the visitor levy we also want to support. So if you look at the diversity as a whole, walk from here to Leith, and in Leith Walk we have one of the most exciting streets in the UK. I think the mix compared to others is spectacular. 'If you're on the Royal Mile you can be at a Lidl on Nicolson Street in five minutes, that's not the case in most places. 'But are there pockets where there are over concentrations of a certain kind of provision? Of course there are.' This issue was debated in the City Chambers last year after a councillor said the number of gift shops on the Royal Mile in council-owned commercial units had become "embarrassing,' and complained the capital's 'window on the world has a See You Jimmy Hat in it'. Lawrence said: 'If we own something then we can decide who to lease it to. So, for example, if we want to ensure that some of our properties are used for charitable or social purposes we can, but the council has a policy of no concessionary lets on our property estate because our property estate cross-subsidies some of the council's core services, so there is a consequence. 'Both as a property owner, as a licensing authority and a planning authority we have a lot of policies that dig into these issues, and like most things there's always a balance involved in all of this.' Another ongoing challenge for the authority is reducing traffic levels while increasing pedestrian space to handle heavy footfall. Questions persist over how the council plans to meet its target to cut car kilometres driven in the city by 30% by 2030, especially after the Scottish Government recently ditched its less ambitious target of 20%. Meanwhile, plans to remove through traffic from key city centre roads including the North and South Bridges and The Mound were delayed last year due to a lack of funding from the Scottish Government. The Royal Mile (Image: Colin Mearns) At the time, former transport convener Scott Arthur said it was 'not just as simple as putting planters in,' while senior officer Gareth Barwell added it was 'very hard to go cheap and nasty' in a World Heritage Site'. However, the slow progress to make the centre of Edinburgh more pedestrian friendly and less congested has made some question how committed the council is to implementing changes. Lawrence highlighted the closures of the Old Town's Cockburn Street and Victoria Street to through traffic 'at little or no cost because we have not done large scale new street designs'. He said: 'We've simply said you can't drive your car down there anymore and some people have agreed with that and some people have disagreed with that. 'There's somewhere like George Street, potentially the finest street in Edinburgh, one of the finest streets in the UK, where I don't think that approach would be right. 'We have a scheme from Meadows to George Street which would improve the public realm significantly. We're under a lot of pressure, and understandably so, from organisations like Living Streets to improve the pavement experience both in the city centre and elsewhere. 'In a World Heritage centre, that has to be done right. And that's not cheap. 'There are some times when we can take a relatively low intervention approach, if I can call it that. There are others where we need substantive street redesign from building line to building line. We have to do that respectfully to the heritage of the city. We've inherited some of the most spectacular street designs in Europe and we can't ignore that.' Read more: Meagher added: 'Edinburgh is one of the easiest places to walk around as opposed to any other ways of getting around the city, but there's no doubt - I mean look at Princes Street, the pavements on Princes Street are in a shocking state.' The council chiefs said a potential £50m a year generated by the visitor levy - a 5% charge on overnight stays capped at five nights from July 2026 - will fund essential improvements to pedestrian spaces including the neglected Princes Street. 'We now have the opportunity with the visitor levy before us,' Lawrence said, 'we are working to bring forward proposals via the new Visitor Levy Forum to elected members later in the year on the first tranche of visitor levy investment. 'Those issues of the quality of the public realm in the city centre, whether it's from a day to day point of view - so graffiti removal and so on - or more substantive works like the quality of Princes Street, we are working hard on those to bring them to members later in the year to be considered, only considered because there's a lot of claims on that money, to be considered as first priority.' Meagher said: 'That £50m anticipated from the visitor levy has been spent many, many times over in people's imaginations. But I think it would be hard not to justify something to be done on Princes Street on things like improved lighting. 'We need to think long-term and have some sort of staged, strategic approach to the use of the visitor levy, rather than a whole random collection of one-off pieces of investment. We also need to see that over the years it's going to be spent in a strategic way.' Read more on the Future of Edinburgh: Lawrence stressed his team of officers 'will be looking for a balance between the city centre and other parts of the city in the visitor levy proposals'. He said: 'If we say it should all be spent on one square mile we know what the political reaction would be. What we are working on is basically everything we have heard from communities and elected members and others over the years to go 'what does a balanced package of investment look like so we can hopefully get political support for that later in the year?'. Public toilets are a good example.' Addressing the soaring cost of performing at Edinburgh's world-famous festivals could also be aided by TVL money, he added. 'If you talk to folk in the festival communities, they do talk about affordability both for audiences and performers as a challenge. So we need to work with them to go 'what interventions can help with that affordability challenge'. 'People have said for 40 years it's incredibly expensive to put on a show in Edinburgh and all the rest of it. People still come, but there's lots of other cities catching up with us and we need to stay ahead of the pack. If affordability is a challenge to people coming here, then what interventions might address that in the right way? 'The conversation we want to have with the festival community, in particular, is not just whether it's expensive, but how that relates to the programmes they want to put on. Jane Meagher has been City of Edinburgh Council's leader since December 2024 (Image: Gordon Terris) 'If you want more international performers to come for the Fringe or the International Festival then how do we create packages? So it's based on their development ambitions and their programme ideas, not just a kind of blanket approach. 'Affordability is clearly a challenge, but what are our shared ambitions and therefore what is the right intervention to make? 'That's why we're having those conversations which is why it's going to take time to bring forward proposals. 'Whether members want to spend the money on paving Princes Street or somewhere else, we will put forward a menu of choices later in the year.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
How first-time buyers navigate Edinburgh's ruthless housing market
As prospective first-time buyers on modest incomes navigating the capital's relentlessly competitive housing market, Emily and her partner couldn't afford to be in a rush. But that all changed after a letter from their landlord. 'He wanted to raise our rent by 42% when the Scottish Government's rent freeze was dropped' she said. 'That was the catalysing incident that pushed us to basically get our stuff together and to genuinely start looking, and so we did. 'We'd have liked to wait a little bit longer, get more of our own cash for a deposit together, not rely on loans from family and that kind of thing. In the end we are having to rely on loans from family.' Listings appear and vanish in the blink of an eye. If not outbid, those looking to escape the volatile rental market and get their foot on the property ladder in Edinburgh are often outmanoeuvred by faster-moving buyers. 'It was a surprise how quickly some of these properties go on and off the market,' Emily says. 'We benefited from that in the end; the place we saw and ultimately had our offer accepted on, it went on the market on Friday, we went to see it on Sunday, our offer was in on Monday and it was accepted Monday afternoon and it was off the market. Read more stories from our series investigating the Future of Edinburgh: 'But that had happened to us a couple of times. We put in four or five offers and were outbid every time. It was really surprising to see just how quickly things moved. 'We saw a flat when we were passively looking, and we just decided to scramble and get a mortgage in principle in place and go for it. 'We got lucky - we really got lucky.' In a market like this, luck is essential—but it's most effective when matched with grit and determination. 'Unfortunately, you have to be on it, you have to be proactive, you have to be checking all the time,' says Emily, who moved to Scotland from America in 2017 and was granted settled status around three years ago. 'I was checking the ESPC website twice a day to see what was coming up on the market and then we were contacting estate agents immediately. I was doing it on my lunch break, right after work before the estate agent offices closed at 6pm. It was a part of my day for six months.' For couples, being in the right place at the right time and help from relatives can be the difference between buying a home and remaining in the rental cycle. House hunting is a daunting, gruelling task for anyone starting out. Especially for those going it alone. Louise, 28, describes the experience of being a first-time buyer as a single person in Edinburgh - where in March the average price paid by first-time buyers was £242,000, up from £229,000 the previous March - as 'absolutely crazy". (Image: Office of National Statistics) 'I've been on the hunt for a while but only managed to buy in April,' she says. 'I knew I wanted to buy soon, I'm 28 now, so I knew I wanted to get on the property ladder but the renting situation in Edinburgh and the cost spurred me on to try and find a place sooner.' After dipping her toe in the city's ruthless property market, Louise soon learned what she was up against. 'I would get a viewing lined up and then be rung back to be told it's been bought, within two days of it going on the market. 'I viewed between five and 10 and I registered my interest in a lot more than that, and either they were withdrawn from the market or bought within a few days. 'Or I'd view somewhere and the closing date would be in a week's time, so you have five days or a week to decide what your budget is, can you afford it, what offer to put in. And the prices you see online, I find in Edinburgh, are below home report. But then you're competing with people with offers above home report, so realistically the price you see online is about 20% less than what you are actually going to have to offer.' Like Emily, Louise describes herself as 'one of the lucky ones'. In the end, she still had to compromise and go for a place 'that's a bit of a doer-upper,' a tenement flat in the city. 'Ideally, I wanted somewhere I could just walk into. I didn't mind a bit of paint here and there,' she says. 'But for this one, I think I'm going to have to redo the kitchen and bathroom. But I didn't have to compete with anyone for this one, and I have an inkling that investors and people who are looking to Airbnb and rent out are looking for walk-ins so they can put it on the market straight away. 'Interestingly, I went to view one by the Meadows and the lady showing me around said 'I've had eight viewings today, you're the only person who's buying for themselves, everyone else is buying for their children who are going to the university. I was like, wow okay. 'I work outside Edinburgh and I did weigh up living outside out of the ring road just because the prices almost halve when you leave the city. You can get so much more for your money just within five miles. 'But then my friends and family are all here, I think I'd be isolated and would spend more money travelling into the city. So I did have to weigh that up, I was very much debating it but luckily one came on the market that I ended up getting.' Read more on the Future of Edinburgh: There is an 'extraordinary difference' between average house prices in Edinburgh (£327,751) and the rest of Scotland (£191,435), David Alexander, chief executive of lettings and estate agency DJ Alexander Scotland, said in November. He said this created a risk 'that Edinburgh becomes unaffordable for people moving into the city in the future'. DJ Alexander said that, over the decade to 2021, Edinburgh benefited from double-digit-percentage population growth. The property agent flagged an influx of 'well-qualified, well-paid, working-age people from around the world', declaring this had 'transformed' the Scottish capital's economy and housing market. Speaking to The Herald, one first-time buyer, who asked to remain anonymous, was ultimately forced to explore options outside the capital due to the affordability and recently bought a house in Falkirk. 'Everything in my price range was so small, needed so much work to be done and I wanted more space after 10 years with a flatmate living in one room. There was a place that looked okay but it had no central heating, no heating at all. 'The only thing I was looking at seriously was again living in one room, and I thought 'this is just so miserable'. So I ended up never really putting bids on places anyway because I could see it going to offers over anyway in a lot of places and it just seemed really unaffordable. 'Plus, they were looking for offers over and it just seemed like it would have wiped out any money that you would have had to do any work on the property.' One first-time buyer said they ended up moving to Falkirk due to Edinburgh's house prices (Image: Newsquest) Originally from outside Glasgow but living and working in Edinburgh city centre for the past 10 years, she was fortunate to have lived with her friend, a live-in landlord who charged 'really cheap rent' during that time, allowing her to save. But despite this it was still 'really difficult for me,' she adds. 'If you're having to pay the ridiculous rents in Edinburgh just now, about £1,200 for a one bed these days, it's almost impossible to save. 'It's weirdly depressing that with the cost of renting that buying seems like the cheaper option, but only you're fortunate enough to have the funds. It feels like the market's going to implode. 'I hadn't been looking seriously until August or September and started looking. I went to see a few places and they were just honking. 'My boyfriend lives in Falkirk which is why I thought about moving here. We haven't moved in together but I'm closer to where he is now, so that was why it came up on my radar. It's halfway between the two cities but for some reason not as many people have jumped on it. Which is good for me. 'I managed to find a place here fairly quickly. Your money goes a lot further and the range of properties is really nice. I hadn't thought about it until I started looking in Edinburgh and that made me feel quite miserable. 'Basically, I thought I'd much rather be in the centre of a town than the outskirts of a city.' Read more: For professional storyteller and theatre-maker Mark Borthwick, the four-year hunt for a home drags on. The process is made even harder by the fact he's self-employed. 'I'm the director of a limited company,' he explains. 'Mortgage lenders really struggle to understand what that means. 'Money that you pay yourself is viewed as an asset rather than an income, so they don't like to mortgage that. So I can only get a mortgage, even though I'm making a fair bit of money, I can only get a mortgage on the £40,000 that comes in PAYE, which only makes me eligible for a mortgage of £200,000. 'The chances are I'll keep saving up and buy a house outright before I get a mortgage. It's very challenging for that reason, but also because when you're looking at these places that are £200,000 you're in competition with couples, for example. There's a lot of competition at the bottom of the market. 'I don't see how I'll be able to compete with people who are buying for investment or buying with generational wealth or have two incomes and are more appealing. It's also tough that the offers over system comes from personal wealth, so you can't mortgage the money that are offers over. 'I've been looking in the middle, I've been looking around the edges. 'Edinburgh has been my home for a long time, but I struggle to see how it will be somewhere to be permanent. Even if I can scrape together enough to buy a property, none of my friends will be able to and a lot of people who I know are leaving for the north of England and other places. 'There's a desertification of my community. I don't think I know anybody else who has long-terms plans to stay in the city. It's amazing how much more you get elsewhere. Even in London, I know people who are doing this same process there and it's unparable, it's only marginally harder. 'It's very clear I could have a much more stable and higher quality of life elsewhere.' Mark, too, has faced the harsh realities of life as a renter. 'I've moved house four or five times because they've hit us with a 20 or 30% rent increase,' he says. 'I was evicted one time illegally by my landlord just moving in and putting my stuff out on the stairs. The place I'm in at the minute feels pretty good. But you never know, do you? It's big trouble because you have a months' notice to leave; when have you ever found a place within a month?' He adds: 'I think we are sleeping on how hard it is and sleeping on what's going to happen when all the young people and culture makers leave. 'I'm from the Lake District, that's where I grew up and there's a complete desertification of young folk, especially since Covid. A lot of it is people who have left the city. There's a fair demographic crisis there now, schools are closing; there's nobody to provide vibrancy and culture. It's definitely bad for us. 'Edinburgh also becomes this Airbnb resort destination and all the people who make it worthwhile and all the people who make it worthwhile and work in these attractions are forced to leave. 'I do the Fringe every year and the Fringe is not actually worth it to be as a performer. What are people going to come and see and do if we economically edge out all these people who are making the culture here. 'For people in my demographic, working class people doing it on their own, I don't see how it could play out.'
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Princes Street will be 'major priority' for tourist tax fund
The 5% tax on overnight stays, capped at five nights, will apply to bookings from 24 July 2026. Hotels, B&Bs, hostels and holiday rentals will need to apply the charge to advance bookings on or after this date from the start of October this year. It's estimated that, once established, the UK's first mandatory city-wide scheme will raise up to £50 million a year to "invest in protecting, supporting and enhancing Edinburgh's worldwide appeal as a place to live and visit," according to the council. Read more stories from our series investigating the Future of Edinburgh: Projects the funding is expected to support include new public toilets, improvements to parks and greenspaces, affordable housebuilding, graffiti removal and installation of underground bins. Of the total annual funds generated 2% will be set aside for three improvement projects a year in the city's most deprived communities, with ideas put to local residents in a public vote. A further 2% will be reimbursed to accommodation providers 'to off-set the administrative cost incurred from operating'. Many of Princes Street's run-down buildings are currently undergoing major transformations, including the redevelopment of the former Jenners and Debenhams department stores as a hotels, showing a revitalisation is already well underway. However for many there remains a glaring need for public realm improvements along the length of the throughfare, with its broken, uneven paving, grime, and an aging streetscape which often contribute to an unpleasant pedestrian experience. Cllr Meagher said: "Edinburgh is one of the easiest places to walk around as opposed to any other way of getting around the city, but there's no doubt the pavements on Princes Street are in a shocking state. Princes Street, Edinburgh (Image: Colin Mearns) "That £50m anticipated from the visitor levy has been spent many, many times over in people's imaginations. "But I think it would be hard not to justify something to be done on Princes Street on things like improved lighting. "I would definitely anticipate that Princes Street would be a major priority. Everybody wants to see that fantastic view of the castle and the skyline and it's truly remarkable. "Princes Street on the retail side at the moment is in the process - and I know it's slow inevitably - of changing into a street where folk would be lingering over coffees and meals. And we need a public realm that goes with that.' A revamp of Princes Street will be included in a "menu" of choices for the first round of TVL investment being put to councillors later in the year. Read more on the Future of Edinburgh: But Edinburgh Council's chief executive, Paul Lawrence stressed officers will be looking for "a balance between the city centre and other parts of the city in the visitor levy proposals". He told The Herald: "If we say it should all be spent on one square mile we know what the political reaction would be. "What we are working on is basically everything we have heard from communities and elected members and others over the years to go 'what does a balanced package of investment look like?' so we can hopefully get political support for that later in the year. "Whether members want to spend the money on paving Princes Street or somewhere else, we will put forward a menu of choices forward later in the year."
