£4 million complex provides new homes for pensioners and families

A £4 MILLION housing development – providing new flats for rent in Edinburgh – was officially opened today (Monday, June 27, 2005) by the city’s Lord Provost, Lesley Hinds.

The development at Stenhouse Mill Wynd, off Gorgie Road, has transformed a derelict site into sheltered accommodation for pensioners and homes for local families.

The 39 flats were developed by the city’s Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, with nearly £1.9 million of grants from the government body Communities Scotland and a further £850,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council.

Private finance was provided by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

The Lord Provost said: "The development provides much-needed affordable accommodation for rent, for both older people and small family households. On a main bus route, close to the city centre, this impressive project has transformed a former industrial site, which had been derelict for a number of years.

"I’m delighted to officially open the development and congratulate Dunedin Canmore on the success of the project."

Today the Lord Provost met 87-year-old Winnie Childs, who lives in a top flat in the centrepiece of the new development … a curved tower.

Her circular livingroom, with five windows, gives her a bird’s eye view of the capital, with panoramic views from the Pentlands to Corstorphine Hill.

"I’m sure I’ve got one of the best views in Edinburgh," smiled Mrs Childs. "I love looking out of the windows and seeing what’s happening."

She added: "I couldn’t have asked for a better house. I love it here. I’ve always had a ground floor flat, but didn’t want that when I moved to this development. I’m very lucky."

Mrs Childs, a former nurse, was previously a tenant in one of the housing association’s other developments in the city. "Canmore is very good to its tenants and helped me settle into my new home," she said. "I’m really happy with the finish of the flat and all the facilities I have here."

Alan Brown, the chief executive of Dunedin Canmore Housing Association, said he was pleased the development had proved to be such a success.

"We’ve had a really good response to the development and are delighted the Lord Provost could officially open it."

He added: "There’s a mix on tenants on site. Some of the older residents have come from one of our other developments. We’ve also taken people from the council waiting list and our own waiting list.

"Mrs Childs lives in one of the 26 sheltered flats we’ve created on the site. This section has a communal lounge and laundry for elderly residents to use. There are also 13 flats for families in the development.

"All the new homes benefit from gas central heating, and a CCTV security system. The sheltered housing residents are also able to use an energy saving, communal boiler, which delivers lower heating and hot water costs."

Dunedin Canmore Housing Association manages nearly 4000 homes around Edinburgh, West Lothian and Fife.

The Association was formed as a result of the 2005 merger of Dunedin Housing Association and Canmore Housing Association. The original groups were formed in 1975 to carry out tenement rehabilitation work in the Fountainbridge, Dalry, and Gorgie areas of Edinburgh. Since then their work – and property portfolio – has substantially increased.

The merged Association is a Scottish charity and operates on a not-for-profit basis.


Visit Dunedin Canmore online at http://www.dunedincanmore.org.uk/



Issued by THEPRSTORE on behalf of Dunedin Canmore Housing Association

For more information, please contact
Adrian Mahoney, The PR Store
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Alan Brown
Dunedin Canmore Housing Association
193 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, EH11 2EF
T: 0131 313 5444
F: 0131 313 4482
alan.brown@dunedincanmore.org.uk