SCOTTISH new-build improvement properties have been given the seal of approval after Housing Minister Paul McLennan visited this week.

The £80m new-build undertaking at West Craigs in Edinburgh will see 425 new energy-efficient properties constructed by Wheatley Group.

The housing, care and property-management group is constructing 238 properties for social lease and 187 for mid-market lease inside the prime location within the west of the capital.

The properties for social lease shall be for Wheatley Properties East, with the mid-market leases for Lowther – each a part of Wheatley Group.

Housing Minister Paul McLennan was given a tour of the event and mentioned: “The correct to a heat, secure and reasonably priced house is vital to wellbeing and is a proper everybody deserves.

“Wheatley Group performs a major function in rising the vary of housing obtainable to lease all through Scotland.

“The Scottish Authorities is supporting this new construct improvement with over £41m.

“It will allow the Wheatley Group to supply 425 high-quality energy-efficient reasonably priced properties right here at West Craigs.

“Excessive-quality housing is a key pillar of Housing to 2040, while additionally eradicating gasoline poverty and homelessness and making certain everybody has entry to inexperienced area and important companies.

“I welcome the chance to see for myself the development of those much-needed new reasonably priced properties right here in Edinburgh.”

The brand new properties at West Craigs will embrace a mixture of two to four-bedroom homes, and one, two and three-bedroom flats, with 19 properties appropriate for wheelchair customers.

The event may also embrace 33 Livingwell properties to help older tenants to stay independently, in addition to 19 flats to help folks with advanced wants.

The £80 million undertaking consists of funding from the Scottish Authorities by way of the Metropolis of Edinburgh Council.

The properties will assist improve the availability of much-needed new reasonably priced properties in Edinburgh.

They’ll embrace low-carbon options equivalent to photo voltaic panels, excessive ranges of insulation, energy-efficient boilers and electrical automotive charging factors.

Wheatley Group Chief Govt Steven Henderson mentioned: “We had been delighted to welcome the Housing Minister to West Craigs and to see how we’re turning our mission of ‘Higher Properties, Higher Lives’ into actuality.

“Working with our companions in Scottish Authorities and the Metropolis of Edinburgh Council, we can create 425 much-needed reasonably priced properties in a extremely fascinating a part of the nation.

“These vibrant, fashionable, energy-efficient properties will develop into a key a part of a superb new neighborhood for our tenants and households.”

The brand new properties kind a part of the broader transformation of West Craigs, which is able to see1200 new properties on the market, and the creation of retailers, two public parks and a major college.

The primary section of Wheatley properties at West Craigs is because of full by the tip of 2024.

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Honest Work Convener, mentioned: “This is among the greatest initiatives now we have ever supported by way of the Reasonably priced Housing Provide Programme.

“[It is] an excellent instance of the advantages constructing reasonably priced housing at scale can deliver to Edinburgh.

“The primary section of improvement is properly underway and can ship 300 properties, plus now we have one other 125 within the pipeline.

“So lots of the properties we’re constructing right here shall be for social lease, which the town desperately wants.

“Constructing extra social rented properties is a precedence and demand is simply going to extend as Edinburgh grows.

“Over 50 properties may also be designed for folks with advanced wants in thoughts, offering good high quality accessible properties.

“Working with Wheatley to ship this scheme is an instance of efficient partnership with Registered Social Landlords too, which is important to offering the properties we’d like.

“There’s a lot on the doorstep for West Craigs, from the unbelievable woodland and parks within the space to cycleways connecting it to the remainder of the town.

“It’s a rising neighborhood between Barnton and The Gyle and – due to this improvement – a whole lot of individuals will be capable of name it house.”

Steven Simpson, Managing Director of The Cruden Group, who’re constructing the brand new properties mentioned: “It’s a privilege to work on delivering this transformational new improvement.

“These high-quality properties are filled with low-energy options, have been designed to go well with quite a lot of differing wants and can create a vibrant new neighborhood.

“All through this construct programme we shall be bringing a variety of neighborhood advantages to this space equivalent to new jobs, apprenticeships, new coaching alternatives and help for a variety of area people initiatives.”