HOUSEBUILDERS have been called upon to engage with the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator (EHD) programme which aims to see the build of 11,000 net zero homes in the capital and surrounding areas within the next five years.
The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal (ESESCRD), the partners behind the EHD programme, made the call in response to the growing demand for affordable, net-zero ready housing in Edinburgh and the south east.
The EHD pipeline initiative aims to see the construction of 11,000 homes within the next five years that have been identified as part of a larger pipeline of 25,000 homes spanning the six local authority areas in the ESESCRD area.
ESESCRD said housebuilders who engage will implement the EHD typologies for affordable net zero-ready homes which have been developed, tested, and optimised throughout the programme’s three pilot projects. The EHD model is centred around collaborative procurement, whole life costing, development pipeline, and increased standardisation of housing types.
Now, the focus of EHD is on leveraging the lessons learned through the pilot projects to streamline the delivery of ‘high-quality, affordable net zero-ready’ homes in the region. This open call by the South East Regional Delivery Alliance is for industry and public sector house builders to actively participate in the expedited delivery of 11,000 net zero homes.
Housebuilders engaging with the South East Regional Delivery Alliance’s open call will benefit from access to EHD’s resources and expertise to support the adoption of the EHD delivery model through collaborative procurement by bundling sites, standardising products and embracing offsite manufacturing, ESESCRD added. By doing so, housebuilders will be able to drive economies of scale, realise whole life cost savings and support the Scottish Government’s net zero targets for affordable homes.
Housebuilders who are interested in finding out more about how to engage and benefit from EHD are encouraged to contact Sinclair Young, EHD programme manager – development and regeneration at the City of Edinburgh Council through the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator website.
Marjory Mackie, housing strategy and development manager at West Lothian Council, said, “Along with the other local authorities in the Regional Delivery Alliance, we are excited to invite home builders to engage with the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator programme. By embracing the EHD typologies and leveraging the collaborative approach, builders will not only contribute to meeting the growing demand for housing but also reap the many economic and design benefits.
“If we can accelerate the delivery of high-quality, affordable, net-zero-ready homes, we can make a significant impact on the affordable housing landscape in the City Region Deal area, while lowering emissions.”
Alex Goodfellow, CEO at Donaldson Offsite, added, “The EHD programme is an excellent example of industry working in partnership with government bodies and with the support of academia. The high-quality research and development work has helped to produce a commercially viable contribution to the current housing challenges we face, while the suite of low carbon home designs created using offsite timber systems demonstrate the collective capability of the Scottish design, manufacturing and development community.”
