affordable housing Archives - Urban Union Ltd

Tag: affordable housing

Introducing Hamiltonhill Living – 600 new homes in Glasgow

 

A collaborative partnership between Queens Cross Housing Association, Hamiltonhill Living is the latest housing development announced by our team at Urban Union.

Assisting in the regeneration of the Hamiltonhill area of Glasgow, we will be delivering a total of 600 new homes – 50% of which will be available for rent through the housing association and the other 50% will be available for private sale.

Comprising of a variety of different house types, we will be aiming to meet the needs of a wide range of diverse lifestyles and budgets, from first-time buyers to growing families.

Our specification includes apartments and terraced housing, all in close proximity of Glasgow City Centre.

The regeneration of the area will be delivered over a 10 year period, split over four phases, having initially launched in August 2022.

 

Urban Union providing more properties within the Hamiltonhill area of Glasgow

The housing development site explained

Pictured above is how the location of our development looks currently. Situated along the canal corridor within North Glasgow, Hamiltonhill neighbours Sighthill, Dundashill, Cowlairs, Ruchill Hospital and Maryhill Locks.

An under developed area of the city, we hope to regenerate the site and bring a real community feel along with our housing.

This will be done through collaborative projects, as well as the build of three new local parks in Hamiltonhill (a separate contract set to complete in Summer 2023) – creating attractive open and safe green spaces for children to enjoy and parents to socialise.

 

North Glasgow property Development providing affordable housing

A word from our MD on Hamiltonhill Living

Neil McKay, managing director of Urban Union, said: “It’s great to see work get underway at our new development at Hamiltonhill as we continue to meet the growing demand for a diverse mix of high-quality, affordable houses in the area.

“We expect Hamiltonhill to be a popular development, with lots of exciting future improvements planned for the community. I’d urge people to register their interest now to avoid disappointment.”

Rona Anderson, Director of Property, Enterprise and Regeneration of Queens Cross Housing Association said: “The plans for Hamiltonhill will transform the area into a 21st Century neighbourhood, with spacious homes set amongst gardens and parkland, and excellent connections to the city centre.

“We can’t wait to see the first phase taking shape.”

 

semi detached house and apartment property available for sale in glasgow

 

Register your interest for Hamiltonhill Living

If you are interested in owning a property within this new development, please click here to register your interest.

With work starting early next year, a member of our sales and marketing team will soon be in touch to discuss the homes that we have available.

Why must we invest in affordable housing?

An opinion piece by Urban Union Managing Director, Neil McKay. 

The current economic climate

Last year saw one of the biggest economic downturns of our time – but what does this mean for the housing market? The Bank of England has raised interest rates up to 3.5% – the highest rate since November 2008 and to add insult to injury, Standard Mortgage Rates (SMR) increased significantly resulting in major lenders pulling deals and returning with much higher prices due to ongoing market uncertainty.

But there is hope. The housing market is fundamental to the economy. Whilst housing investment is an unpredictable element to measuring the total output, if you were to buy a new home, it directly contributes to total output (GDP) via investment in land, building materials and job creation. Homes for Scotland reported that up to 79,200 people in Scotland are in employment supported by the housebuilding sector.

The importance of new homes

To support the industry, we need people to continue buying new homes, and with increased interest rates, these homes must be affordable. Building new, affordable homes will undoubtedly play a critical role in the nation’s recovery. Homes for Scotland’s report in March 2022 mentions the house building sector’s direct contribution to the Scottish economy is £1.8 billion direct Gross Value Added (GVA) and £3.4bn in direct, indirect and induced GVA.

For every £1 spent on construction alone, £2.84 of economic activity is generated, with 90 per cent of this spending retained in the UK. On top of this, as the country looks to the post-pandemic recovery, the sector has a substantial role to play.

Social housing and regeneration projects are just as important.

We must provide families and individuals with affordable and sustainable quality homes and social housing which align with the UK’s net zero objectives. All communities should have good public transport links and connectivity, in addition to being within proximity of city centres to help urban areas attract buyers.

Housing developments by Urban Union

At Urban Union, our developments across Scotland aim to be more than just the regeneration of bricks and mortar, but that of communities. In addition to the financial economic benefits, affordable housing can also significantly improve social benefits through creative activation of spaces. We can help promote healthy lifestyles and community interaction in public spaces – such as our recently converted community hub at Laurieston Living in Glasgow – to boost the wellbeing of those residing in our communities.

But we cannot do this on our own and whilst there is help from the Government, it may not be enough. The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) from the Scottish Government states it is committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 of which at least 70% will be available for social rent and 10% will be in remote, rural and island communities. However, the March 2022 Homes for Scotland report has indicated that at least 25,000 new homes per annum need to be built to keep pace with demand.

A clear and sustainable investment in regeneration and affordable housing, will not only address Scotland’s housing shortfall and support economic recovery, but will also have a significant positive impact on the wellbeing of our communities at a time where economic certainty and the value of our communities has never been more important.

Neil McKay is Managing Director, Urban Union

Urban Union Appoints Three New Board Members

We are strengthening our board with three new appointments to drive the business forward as it expands its operations across the central belt.

Urban Union regenerates urban areas through building new, high quality, affordable homes while creating employment and training opportunities. It counts The City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow City Council, New Gorbals Housing Association, and Queens Cross Housing Association among its client partners.

Managing Director Neil McKay will be joined on the board by; Kirsty Parry, Sales and Marketing Director, Alan Dunsmore, Technical Director and Carole Lambie, Finance Director.

Kirsty and Alan are being promoted internally, having been with Urban Union for eight and four years, respectively and Carole joined Urban Union earlier this year from Cruden Building (East Ltd), where she was Head of Finance.

Elliot Robertson, Chief Executive Officer, Robertson Group, said: “Urban Union has been delivering some of the most desirable regeneration projects over the last 11 years, creating positive social and environmental impact, to enhance local economic prosperity, wellbeing, inclusion and resilience. The appointments to the board are aimed at strengthening our governance and creating enhanced opportunities for senior-level engagement with our customers as we listen and plan to develop regeneration solutions that address their challenges head-on. The appointments also demonstrate our commitment to our people, and I am proud that we have two internal promotions to announce.”

Neil McKay, Managing Director, Urban Union, said: “I am delighted to be joined on the board by such a strong team. Both Kirsty and Alan have been key members of the Urban Union team for a considerable time, and it’s fitting recognition that they have been appointed to the board, which is complemented by Carole, who joined us earlier this year.

“We have solid plans for growth and having the right structure in place will allow us to deliver meaningful regeneration projects across Scotland. Our unwavering commitment to our partners, clients customers and to contributing social value in the areas we operate has enabled us to establish ourselves as a key delivery partner for local authorities and SLAs.
“Our private market offering is also an important part of our business, and we take great pride in the quality of homes that are being delivered for the affordable market.”

In the coming weeks, Urban Union is launching a new app for customers which will enhance the customer journey and enables progress updates at every stage of the build. Providing a live experience, the app has been designed with the full customer journey at its core from pre-purchase through to home demonstrator videos.

130 new homes in Edinburgh – Greendykes Living given the green light

Urban Union to deliver 130 net zero affordable homes at Greendykes through Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme

The latest phase in the regeneration of Greendykes by The City of Edinburgh Council is set to be delivered by Urban Union following a funding boost of just over £620,000.

Funding has been secured from this year’s Vacant & Derelict Land Investment Programme, enabling the Council to clean the site and improve ground conditions, while work begins to design new, affordable, net zero carbon homes.

The Council expects to fund the build of around 130 homes on the site. Urban Union will now progress plans for the homes via the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme – an innovative new business model for delivering affordable homes based around greater use of offsite construction.

 

net zero new build homes being built within Greendykes Edinburgh

The Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme

Through collaboration with local and national government, academia and the construction industry, The Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme will establish improvements in new affordable housing with a focus on time, cost, quality and carbon reduction. The programme was set up to develop and test a new business model for the construction of affordable homes using offsite construction methods. It has the potential to transform the productivity and performance of affordable housing and enable a move towards homes build to net zero standards.

Planning permission in principle has already been granted as part of an existing masterplan. The Council and Urban Union will engage with local people on home designs in coming months.  Subject to ground works, it is anticipated that the first properties will be delivered in phases from early-2024 to mid-2025.

 

affordable homes made for contemporary living

The benefit of creating new affordable homes in Edinburgh

Councillor Jane Meagher, the Council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:

“Never has our need for better housing been greater as we face a cost-of-living crisis and a climate emergency, so we need to be really ambitious and use the small amount of space we have in our city creatively.

“For years, developers have overlooked this empty piece of land because of how complex it is to unlock. Yet, it’s situated minutes away from the Innocent Railway cycle path and is close to the Royal Infirmary and local employment. The area benefits from countless bus links into the city centre and it is a fantastic place to live.

“I’m thrilled that we’re going to be able to put the green back into Greendykes and we’ll work with local residents as we create these new net zero carbon homes. The funding will help us to transform the land and the local environment, while also providing new affordable and efficient places for people to live in line with our major housebuilding strategy.”

 

new homes edinburgh apartments and semi detached homes

A word from our MD on our new build properties

Neil McKay, managing director, Urban Union said:

“As a delivery partner for the regeneration of Greendykes, it is our responsibility to ensure that we provide homes that not only create a community but that bring benefits to the occupiers and the wider environment.

“By utilising the Edinburgh Home Demonstrator Programme, the Council is showing its commitment not only to its tenants through the selection of quality homes but to innovation and the City’s pledge to be net zero by 2030.

“We are looking forward to meeting with the local residents to discuss the plans for the new homes and to obtaining their valuable input which will make sure that Greendykes becomes a blueprint for city centre regeneration.”

 

one and two bedroom apartments for sale in edinburgh

Looking to move in to one of our new homes in Edinburgh?

If you are looking for a new home in the near future, we currently have availability for one and two bedroom apartments within our Pennywell Living development.

However if you are willing to wait and are interested in finding out more about our Greendykes Living development, register your interest online to be one of the first to receive any updates via our mailing list.

Click here to register your interest in Greendykes Living.