Student accommodation in Edinburgh doubles since 2010

PURPOSE-BUILT student accommodation has almost doubled in Edinburgh since 2010 with an extra 9,800 rooms appearing.
Student accommodation is on the increase in Edinburgh. Picture: JpressStudent accommodation is on the increase in Edinburgh. Picture: Jpress
Student accommodation is on the increase in Edinburgh. Picture: Jpress

There were around 19,000 purpose-built student bed spaces in the Capital at the end of 2017, according to the latest edition of the city council’s Edinburgh by Numbers report.

And the rate of building increased dramatically from 1380 in 2010-11 to 4050 in 2016-17.

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Data from the report also shows Edinburgh had 121.6 students per 1,000 population, the second highest out of nine UK cities, with Manchester topping the table at 171.4.

Edinburgh had 27.5 per cent of all the higher education students in Scotland in 2017, with 21,600 undergraduate at Edinburgh University, 10,500 at Napier, 7,400 at Heriot-Watt and 3,500 at Queen Margaret.

Compared to other UK cities, Edinburgh has the highest proportion of non-UK students at 30.8 per cent and the highest proportion of EU students at 11.8 per cent.

Planning convener Councillor Neil Gardiner said: “Our universities and colleges are an essential part of Edinburgh’s economy and civic life. Where possible, we prefer to see that students are housed in purpose-built, well-managed buildings rather than in flats which could be otherwise used by families.

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“Our policies aim to ensure developments are well located in relation to the campuses while seeking to maintain a sense of community by avoiding an over concentration in any one area.”

The report shows Edinburgh had the highest growth in number of households among Scottish cities in the ten years to 2017. Between 2007 and 2017 the number of households increased by 7.2 per cent.

And in the same period the number of properties in Edinburgh increased by 19,800, or 8.7 per cent.

Some 58 per cent of Edinburgh households are occupied by adults with no children, higher than the Scottish average of 50 per cent.

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Home ownership in the Capital was 57 per cent in 2016, higher than most other Scottish cities, while private rented accommodation accounts for 26 per cent of households, a higher rate than for Scotland as a whole. Just 15 per cent of households are in social rented housing.

In the five years to 2017 there were 8,840 new-build home completions in Edinburgh. The number of new-build starts in Edinburgh exceeded 2,400 in each year from 2015 to 2017, almost double the number of new-start builds in 2013 and 2014.

And the report also looked at transport, highlighting the 22.6 million passengers who used Waverley station last year, up nearly a million on 2016.

Passengers numbers flying in and out of Edinburgh Airport was 13.34 million – 8.14 million international travellers and 5.2 million domestic.

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Spain – including the Canary Islands – was the top international destination from Edinburgh Airport. Germany climbed from fourth place in 2015 and third in 2016 to take second slot for 2017.

A total of 3.4 million passengers flew between Edinburgh and the London airports. Meanwhile, Edinburgh has a higher proportion of people – 22.9 per cent – taking the bus or bike to work than the other Scottish cities and another 32.1 per cent walking to work. The 43.3 per cent who go by car or taxi is lower than any other Scottish city.

Almost three-quarters of people said the bus was their main mode of transport for getting around in the Capital, while 59 per cent said they walked. Some 26.3 per cent of adults said they used the bus almost daily – with Glasgow the next nearest on 15.2 per cent. And 87.5 per cent of adults in Edinburgh said they were satisfied with public transport in the city.