Latest news with #LezleyMarionCameron
Scotsman
5 days ago
- General
- Scotsman
Plans submitted for £69 million renovation of iconic Edinburgh 'Banana Flats' blocks in Leith
The City of Edinburgh Council's retrofit project has taken a major step forward this month with the submission of a planning application by Collective Architecture. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Built in the 1960s and now designated as Category A listed buildings, Cables Wynd House and Linksview House collectively provide 310 homes, the majority of which are owned by the Council for social rent. Under the plans, the iconic 'Banana Flats' as they are known by locals would see a £69 million investment to make the homes safer and more energy efficient. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad These landmark buildings have served generations of residents, and this project represents a significant investment in securing their future as safe, high-quality homes. The proposed works are being driven by the need to meet the Scottish Government's Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing – EESSH2. Achieving compliance will require substantial upgrades to both the building fabric and mechanical systems. Alongside this, the council has identified the opportunity to deliver wider improvements that will bring the buildings in line with modern new-build standards. An artist's impression of Linksview House after the retrofit works. | City of Edinburgh Council Key elements of the proposal include: Energy Efficiency Upgrades: Improved insulation, window replacements, and energy-efficient heating systems to meet EESSH2 standards. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad - Fire Safety Enhancements: Installation of sprinkler systems, smoke ventilation, a new fire-fighting lift, and improved fire compartmentalisation in communal areas. The removal of legacy bin chutes and inclusion of internal waste management facilities will also contribute to enhanced fire safety. - Resident Safety and Security: Upgraded internal and external lighting, a comprehensive review of CCTV systems, and improved access control throughout the buildings. - Landscape and Placemaking Improvements: The refurbishment project presents a unique opportunity to reimagine the outdoor environment surrounding both towers. Proposals include new play areas, external seating, wildflower meadows, sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS), and a full review of parking and waste facilities. Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said: 'I am delighted that the proposals for the council's £69 million investment in Cables Wynd House and Linksview House have now been submitted to the CEC Planning Service, setting out our plans to make our residents' homes safer, more comfortable and more energy efficient. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents have long campaigned for this much needed and substantive investment in their homes to happen. Their influence and input into our consultation sessions have shaped these proposals and is hugely valued. 'I look forward to continuing this positive engagement with Cables Wynd and Linksview House residents and Leith Ward councillors as the project progresses.' How Cables Wynd House will look after the works are carried out in Leith. | City of Edinburgh Council Carl Baker, architect and certified Passivhaus designer for Collective Architecture, said: 'Collective Architecture is proud to be working with The City of Edinburgh Council on the retrofit of Cables Wynd House and Linksview House. Our proposals place residents at the heart of the process, aiming to provide greener, warmer homes, while celebrating and sensitively enhancing the unique character of the Category A listed buildings. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'As part of a just transition, our carefully considered interventions will improve the thermal and environmental performance of the iconic structures - boosting energy efficiency and alleviating the risk of fuel poverty. 'As with many of our projects, meaningful resident engagement has been central to the design process and will remain a key focus through the final design stage and into construction.' Subject to planning approval, the council says it will continue to engage closely with residents throughout the design and construction process, ensuring their needs remain at the heart of the project.
Edinburgh Live
23-06-2025
- General
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh city centre road closures as veterans march for Armed Forces Day
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Edinburgh is set for the return of the Armed Forces Day parade, with road closures in place. The celebrations kick off at 10am on Saturday, June 28, with around 400 members of the Armed Forces gathering in Charlotte Square. The procession will head down George Street towards St Andrew Square. The Highland and Lowland Bands of the Royal Regiment of Scotland, the Royal British Legion Scotland and Association's Standards and Veterans will be in attendance. Vintage military vehicles will also be on display throughout the day, with guests able to see kit and equipment used by Armed Forces over the years. A spokesperson for Poppy Scotland said: "Serving personnel, veterans and their supporters will parade through St Andrew Square in Edinburgh this weekend at a special event being held to celebrate Armed Forces Day. "The celebrations will start from 10am on Saturday, June 28, as the annual procession of around 400 members of the Armed Forces community will assemble in Charlotte Square, led by 10 vintage vehicles from the Scottish Military Vehicle Group." Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Dr Claire Armstrong, OBE, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: "Armed Forces Day on Saturday follows on from Monday's event (June 23) when the Armed Forces Day flag was presented to the Depute Lord Provost Lezley Marion Cameron, and raised above Edinburgh's City Chambers with pride to honour military personnel past, present and future. "We hope you can come along and help us celebrate the Armed Forces community in our capital city in style, whilst also learning about the valuable work of charities Legion Scotland, Poppyscotland and many more."
Edinburgh Live
06-05-2025
- Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Council forks out £4m to house homeless in hotels as crisis deepens
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Bosses at Edinburgh Council have awarded contracts to three hotels to be used as shared housing for homeless people awaiting permanent accommodation. The local authority has spent a combined total of £4,438,035 to use the Aaron Lodge Hotel on Old Dalkeith Road, the Edinburgh Thistle Guest House on East Hermitage Place and the Miju Hotel on the West End's Hampton Terrace as temporary accommodation. It comes after councillors voted to suspend council housing allocations as the city continues to struggle to meet the Scottish Government housing requirements. READ MORE - Edinburgh locals fear high street will be 'hollowed out' by permit parking plans READ MORE - West Lothian husband who murdered wife after 'police case failed' jailed for life The authority has a duty to provide accommodation for the homeless but over the last 12 months has failed to do so on 3,263 occasions, as previously reported by Edinburgh Live. To help give officers time to tackle the growing homelessness crisis in the city, councillors decided to freeze housing for everyone except those with the highest level of priority. (Image: Google Maps) Now they have awarded a £1,478,250 contract to Aaron Lodge, a £1,284,435 contract to Edinburgh Thistle Guest House and a £1,675,350 contract to Miju Hotel to provide shared housing for those who are on the waiting list for a more permanent home. (Image: Google Maps) A contract award notice announcing the successful tenders stated: "A Shared House is accommodation with up to forty-five bedrooms (any properties with more rooms must have prior agreement with the Council). Each household (usually an individual or a couple) must have their own lockable bedroom, access to bathroom, living room and kitchen. "It is expected that turnover of rooms will be low. It can take up to two years or more for people assessed as homeless to be offered alternative accommodation. "[The] average length of stay for Shared Houses is approximately five months though some are significantly higher or lower than this." Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Lezley Marion Cameron said changes in the law and rocketing private rents in the capital had contributed to the decision. She added: 'With legislative and policy changes at both the Scottish and UK Government levels, combined with the most expensive private rented sector in Scotland, the number of households in temporary accommodation continues to rise. 'The reality is that demand for accommodation in Edinburgh far outstrips supply, and despite our best efforts, we are unable to meet the needs of everyone seeking stable housing despite increasing the amount of temporary accommodation available to us. 'Steps taken to address the scale of the crisis, including the reintroduction of void homes and expanding our homeless prevention initiatives, are not enough. 'We need significantly more financial support from the Scottish Government to deliver sustainable, long-term solutions. Ending the housing emergency requires a coordinated broader, and better funded effort across all levels of government.'
STV News
24-04-2025
- Politics
- STV News
Council to consider suspending housing policy amid worsening homelessness crisis
City of Edinburgh Council is preparing to suspend its housing policy amidst a growing housing crisis in the capital. The unprecedented move would see all available council-owned housing stock redirected toward people experiencing homelessness. It's part of Edinburgh's plan to get its worsening housing crisis under control. Despite declaring a housing emergency in November 2023, the city is still continuing to breach Scottish Government housing requirements as it struggles to cope with temporary housing demands due to increases in levels of homelessness. The latest figures from a housing, homeless, and fair work committee report show that the council has failed to accommodate people on 3,263 occasions in the past year – a 115% rise from 2023/24. The average number of people rough sleeping per week has gone up as well. Between March 24, 2025 and March 30, 2025 it was 75 per week, up from 37 in March 2024. The number of homeless households in Edinburgh have increased by 12% since last year as well. As of March 31, there were 7,866 homeless households accounting for more than 14,200 individuals, including 3,980 children. 'The City of Edinburgh Council continues to face unprecedented and increasing levels of demand for housing,' Edinburgh's housing, homelessness and fair work convener Lezley Marion Cameron said. Councillor Cameron said the committee will discuss the continuing 'funding and resource constraints, and legislative circumstances' at a special committee meeting on Friday. 'Despite the steps already taken including reintroduction of void homes and in homelessness prevention, ongoing and increasing pressures sadly mean that the council has been unable to provide suitable accommodation for all who have housing need,' she added. In an effort to get the situation under control, the council wants to immediately suspend its council house letting policy until it is fully complying with the law again. If approved, all of Edinburgh's available council-owned housing stock will be redirected toward people experiencing homelessness. 'We will move to a system of direct allocation of properties to homeless households in unsuitable accommodation,' a spokesperson for the council explained. The suspension would stay in place until the council is no longer breaching housing legislation, and it would mean around 1,000 homeless households would be moved to suitable accommodation. It would apply for all Edinburgh council tenants except for those with a disability, with 'gold priority' for housing, or for those awaiting discharge from hospital. City of Edinburgh Council emphasised that there has been an 'ongoing increase' in homelessness levels in the capital since the Covid-19 pandemic, and homelessness has exceeded pre-pandemic levels. There has been an increase in 'non preventable' homelessness, and the council said Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) legislation has removed around 500 temporary accommodation spaces available to the council since last December. 'One of the consequences of that is the increase in breaches of the Housing Scotland Act 1987 by failing to accommodate those assessed or threatened with homelessness,' the council said. 'As the report stresses, the council must comply with the legislation governing the provision and quality of accommodation, and suspending the allocation policy will allow officers to focus on achieving compliance by allocating available properties appropriately to those in unsuitable accommodation.' The policy suspension is most likely to affect people who are currently looking to move because their current home does not meet their needs, those who are looking to secure their first council tenancy and those who are homeless but not in unsuitable temporary accommodation. 'The impact on these households will be that they may have to remain in their current property for longer, or it will take longer for them to secure permanent housing,' a spokesperson for the council said. The council said this will likely impact 'each household in a different way'. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
