Out with the old - in with the new

Three blocks of houses have been taken down on sites in Pennywell and Muirhouse to make way for a new phase of regeneration.

The project is part of the 21st Century Homes for Edinburgh programme. It is estimated that 12,000 new affordable homes will be needed over the next ten years in Edinburgh.

The redevelopment of Pennywell and Muirhouse, North Sighthill and Gracemount is a Council programme to build 1,300 new houses towards this target for sale and rent. This Council-led investment of around £150 million also aims to provide a stimulus to the city’s economy in this time of economic downturn.

The buildings were taken down by machine and then turned into rubble and re-used.

Materials removed from these buildings will be recycled where possible. Crushed concrete, for example, can be used as material to form new roads or foundations for new houses.

Roy Douglas, chair of Muirhouse and Salvesen community council said: “The community have been waiting for this and are looking forward to all the expected improvements.

“An experimental wildflower meadow is to be planted to cover the site until it is ready to build on. It is expected to flower right through to November and, if successful, will be replicated on other gap sites while they are waiting to be developed.”

Need to know

Local residents can find up-to-date information displayed on the noticeboard at the back of Muirhouse Library under ‘21st Century Homes for Edinburgh … creating communities’. This will include updates on other aspects of the regeneration programme such as re-housing and future development plans.