Scotland’s largest net zero housing development granted approval

Edinburgh have been granted approval by city planners.The 444-home Western Villages is being led by the City of Edinburgh Council, in partnership with Glasgow-based contractor CCG Scotland and architect Cooper Cromar.The development will form part of the Granton Waterfront Regeneration, where over 3,500 homes are set to be created over the next 10 years, delivering one, two and three-bedroom apartments, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings, available in a mix of social (195), mid-market rent (62), market rent (63) and private sale tenures (124).Designed within a masterplan that will take advantage of parkland and sea views, there will also be greater emphasis placed on pedestrian and cycle movement, with electrical car charging, car club accessibility and public transport in favour of traditional car parking; which is reduced across the development.The homes designed to the principles of CCG’s Net Zero Home housebuilding standard. Developed in collaboration with energy and sustainability consultancy Carbon Futures they focus on enhanced fabric performance, low carbon heating and renewable technology as part of a gas-free energy strategy to reduce emissions arising from regulated operational energy use to a rate less than or equal to zero per year.With a target to become a net zero city by 2030, this first phase of Granton Waterfront is designed to act as a blueprint for future sustainable development and help Scotland to transition towards a greener economy.Western Villages forms part of the wider Granton Waterfront regeneration project which will create one of Europe’ s largest coastal city parks, offering more areas for leisure and outdoor experiences, civic spaces and sustainable housing.Construction of Western Villages is expected to begin in mid-2022.