Local residents have responded to recent plans to turn the former site of the Clermiston Health Clinic into affordable housing.
SNP councillor Euan Hyslop said that at a recent Edinburgh City Council finance and resources committee on Thursday September 8 it was agreed that an additional piece of land would also be sold to the developer, AMA Homes, who purchased the land in 2021. He said that as a condition of this, he demanded that 100 per cent affordable housing above ground level be part of the development.
As well as this he asked that the development be completed within a year to stop the AMA from sitting on the site and delaying what he felt was a ‘much needed regeneration and increase in local affordable housing’ in the area. Under the existing plans, the former outpatient health clinic will be turned into a block of affordable housing with shop fronts on the ground floor.
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The site in the past has been the focus of anti-social behaviour since it closed a number of years ago and there are hopes that the development will breathe new life into the Drum Brae community.
One resident, Pamela Mitchel said: “As a resident in this area of Clermiston for many years, I have seen the site of the old health centre become derelict and subjected to numerous acts of vandalism, including arson. This should never have been allowed to happen so I welcome councillor Hyslop's plans to stop private developers from putting up unaffordable private housing in this area.
“The site should be for the residents benefit and the plan to build shops on the site with affordable housing above it would be the right thing to do. The shops will benefit residents and breathe new life into the area and the much needed extra housing will help to rebuild the social aspect of the community.”
Another local, who wished to remain anonymous added: “I fully support the idea of them turning the site into affordable housing for the area and not private flats that will be let out at an extortionate amount. All over Edinburgh there is a priority to build student accommodation at the moment which does not help the residents of the local area who are beginning to struggle to afford rents in their community.”
But not everyone was happy with the proposed plans for the vacant site. Gary feels the council and Scottish Government should not be focused on overpopulating Edinburgh for profit and should look to protect local amenities in residential communities.
He said: “It is ridiculous that another local amenity is lost and replaced by private housing. There are huge areas of Scotland crying out for investment and repopulation but the government and local council are determined to cram Edinburgh beyond bursting point.
“Yet again private profit is put before the needs of Edinburgh citizens.”
Meanwhile, Councillor Hyslop, who was able to secure the aforementioned amendments to the development, said: “The site has been the focus of anti-social behaviour since closing down a number of years ago. The community deserves a local centre that they can be proud of.
“This space needs regeneration and I'm glad that my actions in the finance and resources committee today will bring forward this development and regeneration faster and demand a guarantee that all the housing above ground level will be affordable.”
You can view the latest on the Rannoch Road/Rannoch Terrace development here.
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