Construction on new Edinburgh Leith Walk flats is to begin this month after the plans were approved by the City of Edinburgh Council back in 2021.
Previously, there was a huge community effort to halt the plans that involved demolishing the red sandstone buildings at 106-154 Leith Walk to develop a number of new apartments.
The Save Leith Walk campaigners worked tirelessly to save the iconic Leith building from demolition and were eventually successful.
Plans were then revisited in June 2021 and after agreeing to retain and refurbish the historic buildings that currently stand, allowing them to remain as shops and businesses, the project was given the green light.
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As the refurbishment of the red sandstone building on Leith Walk is nearing completion, the developers have cleared the Stead’s Place site to the rear with construction to build 110 high-quality build-to-rent apartments starting this month.
The final phase set to begin at the end of this year, will create 38 affordable homes, owned and operated by registered social landlord Hillcrest Homes, completing a 'landscaped residential scheme' linking Leith Walk to Pilrig Park.
Graeme Bone, group managing director of Drum, said: “The start of construction of the new apartments represents another significant step forward in the long-awaited regeneration of the Stead’s Place site.
"Once completed, the apartments will be a huge boost to the area and to local businesses, bringing life and access to what has been an inhospitable site, and delivering much-needed homes for local people.”
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David Milton, development manager at Hillcrest Homes said: “Stead’s Place provides the opportunity to deliver 23 new social-rented homes and 15 mid-rented homes, all of which will be allocated to those in housing need.
"The Social Rented homes will deliver a good mix of one, two and three bed apartments and we are particularly pleased to be delivering family sized homes in this location."
He added: "There is a continuing unmet demand for affordable homes across Edinburgh and this development will help meet this demand and provide high quality, energy efficient new homes to those who need them the most.”
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