Glasgow developer Kelvin Properties unveils move into Scottish capital

Property developer Kelvin Properties is extending its reach out of its Glasgow homeland with its first move into Edinburgh – saying it is part of a strategic move to grow across the Central Belt.

The business has snapped up a site in Canonmills that was formerly home to a charity’s furniture warehouse – and aims to create a six-storey building housing 48 apartments including 12 affordable properties, with a fifth of the homes set to be larger three-bedroom properties suitable for families. Work at the site is expected to begin this summer.

Kelvin Properties says The Logie Green Road proposals tie in with objectives set out in the City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed 2030 plan, published in September, that prioritised the regeneration of urban brownfield sites to tackle a shortage of housing.

Last year the developer identified the site as the “ideal” location for its first Edinburgh project, which it says will now go ahead subject to finalising a legal agreement for the delivery of the affordable housing.

The location was formerly used by charity Four Square, which supports homeless people in the city, for its Edinburgh Furniture Initiative (EFI). The EFI will now move to more suitable premises in the west of the city, with Four Square using proceeds from the sale of the Logie Green site to fund new hostel accommodation for people in need in Edinburgh.

The proposed new Logie Green Road properties will include a raised amenity deck, balconies and roof terraces, with limited car parking to encourage alternative transport use, as well as secure bike storage and electric-vehicle charging points.

The building will also feature solar panels on the roof to help power the property, as well as the likes of rain gardens and permeable paving.

From left: Kelvin Properties directors Marc Taylor and Stephen McKechnie at the development at Logie Green Road, Edinburgh. Picture: contributed.

Marc Taylor, director at Kelvin Properties, said: “Our first project in Edinburgh signals the start of a very exciting period for Kelvin Properties, and we see a huge amount of potential in the city beginning with the Logie Green Road project.

Strategic

"This move into Edinburgh has been a long time in the planning, and we put a great deal of effort and resource into identifying the right site for our first development in the capital. It’s part of a strategic move for the business to widen our scope across the Central Belt.”

He added that the firm hopes to play a “significant” role in Edinburgh’s regeneration plans. Its work in the west of Scotland includes recently announced proposals to create 67 flats in Paisley on the site of a former Department for Work and Pensions office.

Additionally, Mr Taylor said the Canonmills site will be the first Kelvin Properties development delivering at least 25 per cent affordable housing. ESPC recently revealed that the average property selling price in Edinburgh, the Lothians, Fife and the Borders rose 2.6 per cent annually to £271,493.

Jane Devine, chief executive at Four Square, said: “The funds from the sale of our Logie Green Road building have already allowed us to purchase a beautiful building for our women’s refuge; and we plan to buy a second building for young women who are homeless from the proceeds.

"Our ambition is to create beautiful homes for people who need them – and working with Kelvin has moved us closer to achieving that ambition.”

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