Harbour Gateway, the latest phase of the Western Harbour managed rent community being promoted by Forth Ports, wel-comes its final residents at the end of May in the largest Built to Rent (BTR) project of its kind in Scotland, made possible by innovative National Hous-ing Trust funding provided by City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Fu-tures Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The vision has introduced a number of key innovations, as the project team seeks to deliver the best possible outcomes for residents. Rents for residents go up by no more than CPI and a deposit-free option is being trialed, as is a dedicated residents’ portal for communicating on community issues.

In another first for Scotland, residents can take advantage of a new app being pioneered by Rettie & Co. that enables them to get enhanced credit ratings from paying rents. Currently, only mortgage payments qualify with credit referencing agencies.

Charles Hammond, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports said: “I am pleased that the first phase of Western Harbour has been completed, bringing much needed affordable homes to Leith and the city more broad-ly. I would like to thank everyone that has supported the project and hope we can add a further 1,000 homes in time.”

Matthew Benson, Director, Development Services at Rettie & Co, said: “We are delighted to have reached a key milestone in this ambitious project and are looking forward to the next phase. These homes bring the total num-ber of Build to Rent properties with which Rettie & co. has been involved to 785. The vast oversubscription for homes at Harbour Gateway illustrates the level of demand for this kind of high quality housing in Edinburgh against a backdrop of chronic undersupply. Harbour Gateway also sets the standard for the collaborative way in which public and private sector fi-nancing deals can be combined to the satisfaction of clients and investors, while delivering high quality homes for residents.”

Harbour Gateway resident Natalie Barrett said: “With the cost of moving al-ready being high, it’s really helpful to be able to rent deposit-free, and we are also looking forward to having the opportunity to buy in 5 years and feel supported to do so. Previous private rental or mid-market rental with housing associations have made me feel that we are lucky to be renting their property – but at Harbour Gateway they make you feel like they are pleased to have you.”

29 May 2019