Popular Edinburgh area next to Water of Leith set for almost 100 new rental flats and colony-style houses

An Edinburgh housing development next to the Water of Leith is set for almost 100 new rental flats and homes.

Citra Living, which is part of Lloyds Banking Group, has acquired 66 apartments and 21 colony-style houses from housebuilding giant Barratt at its Heron Bank scheme in the north of the city. The deal sees Citra take on a range of one, two and three-bed homes at the 115-home development which is nearing completion in the Bonnington area.

Heron Bank is located on South Fort Street near the Water of Leith on the site of a disused steel works and builder’s yard. The former brownfield site is less than two miles from Edinburgh city centre.

Heron Bank, which is nearing completion, is located on South Fort Street near the Water of Leith.

Citra said the new homes were located just a short walk to the many shops, cafes and restaurants of Leith and the open spaces of a number of local parks, including the Royal Botanic Garden. The first phase of homes will be available to rent from June.

Andy Hutchinson, chief executive of Citra Living, said: “Our focus continues to be bringing forward high quality new homes and delivering a positive rental experience in places where people want to live. Brownfield regeneration has a huge part to play in the UK’s housing mix, and this scheme highlights how new life can be breathed into a disused site to grow the residential offering in what is already a thriving and well-connected area. It’s pleasing to see the continued success of our partnership with Barratt, which has consistently created high-quality homes for our customers.”

The acquisition is part of a strategic partnership formed between Citra and Barratt Developments in 2021 with the aim of improving access to high quality homes for UK renters. To date, the partnership has contracted to deliver more than 1,500 homes across the UK.

Alison Condie, managing director at Barratt Developments East Scotland, added: “With current conditions in the market, it’s more important than ever that we look at a spectrum of options when it comes to the development of homes. By transforming brownfield sites such as Heron Bank, we’re unlocking land that would otherwise lie dormant, providing further investment into the Leith community.”