Approval for ‘groundbreaking’ north west Edinburgh housing build

PLANS for a ‘groundbreaking’ net zero housing development in north west Edinburgh have been granted approval by the capital’s council.

The 75 net zero carbon homes will come alongside three retail units and form part of the £1.3 billion Granton Waterfront regeneration project.

CCG (Scotland) Ltd will undertake the works in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council and academics from Napier University.

A ‘large proportion’ of the construction will be carried out offsite in a factory setting, which the council said will reduce the overall time it takes to build the homes.

The works will act as a pilot for the new business model of building affordable, net zero homes – with a team from Napier University analysing the energy performances to validate and inform the net zero carbon strategy for future projects.

Councillor Kate Campbell, convener for the housing, homelessness and fair work committee, said, “This pilot, and the learning we hope to take from it, is a really important step for us on our journey to making all of our housing stock more energy efficient, and better for tenants to live in.

“We have incredibly ambitious plans which form the bedrock of our housing strategy over the next ten years. There is a critical need for more affordable homes in Edinburgh and we are responding to that through our commitment to deliver 20,000 social and affordable homes by 2027.”

Calum Murray, CCG (Scotland) director and Edinburgh climate commissioner, added, “The approval of Granton D1 is another important milestone for the City of Edinburgh Council and CCG. By working collaboratively alongside our partners, we are pioneering the delivery of affordable, net zero homes in Scotland and the council is to be congratulated for taking these necessary first steps in delivery of our country’s net zero carbon ambitions.

“CCG is delighted to be leading the design and build of Granton D1 where we will provide a cutting-edge demonstration in the use of fabric first design and construction technology. We look forward to advancing works on-site in the very near future.”