Campaigners have renewed calls for more affordable housing and rent controls after it emerged private flats in a former public building were being let out for “completely unaffordable” prices of up to £2,500 a month.
Flats in the former Boroughmuir High School – sold to developers CALA by the City of Edinburgh Council in 2015 for £14.5m – have recently appeared on the rental market.
London estate agent OpenRent is advertising a one-bed Boroughmuir apartment for £1,250 a month while Glenham Property is marketing a three-bed for £2,500.
Housing campaigners have reacted angrily, with tenant’s union Living Rent claiming the high prices demonstrate “why we have a housing crisis in Scotland”.
A DISABLED rights campaigner has rounded on six councillors who blocked a bid to increase the number of wheelchair accessible homes within the area s new planning blueprint. Councillor Jim MacLeod had called for a 10 per cent benchmark for developments of more than 20 new build homes. This motion regarding the Local Development Plan was put forward by his SNP colleague councillor Chris Curley at a special meeting of the environment and regeneration committee, only to be rejected by a 6-5 vote. Councillor Curley s amendment for ten per cent was supported by committee members John Crowther, Stephen McCabe, Jim McEleny and Innes Nelson.