Readers' letters: Build to Rent does not offer social housing

Wannabe ‘Wolf of George Street’, John McLellan continues to use his column to promote the interests of spivs and speculators, while feigning concern for Edinburgh’s struggling renters (News, 5 January).

Where Art I? - Edinburgh Sketcher, 9 January 2023

If his role as champion for landlords and developers was ever in any doubt, it was confirmed by the ludicrous suggestion that ‘Build-to-Rent’ (BTR) is “a vital tool for social housing”.

By design, BTR developments do not deliver any social housing. None at all. Like all sizeable developments, they are subject to a requirement to provide 25 per cent ‘affordable housing’, and when they are forced to comply with this, it is done through ‘Intermediate Rent’ – currently set at £1100 for a three-bedroom home and often accompanied by higher-band council tax.

McLellan and his developer pals may think this is ‘affordable' but it certainly bears no resemblance to ‘social housing’, a sector which has been systematically destroyed by free-market fundamentalists who could not abide living in a society where people's most basic needs are protected from their rapacious profiteering.

The state now has no choice but to intervene to clear up the mess they have created. Rent controls is the just the first step, and if their introduction causes BTR investors to walk away then good riddance to them. Let them howl at the moon.

Ross McKenzie, Councillor for Sighthill/Gorgie, Edinburgh

EU membership brings opportunity

The pros and cons of a future EU membership for an independent Scotland needs to be debated. It would be a significant step if Scotland were to apply for membership. It would therefore be important for Scots to have their say.

There are many benefits of EU membership - 62 per cent of Scots voted to remain in the EU. The economic benefits of an exporting nation like Scotland to join a huge neighbouring single market are obvious.

However, there are other less tangible but perhaps equally important factors to take into account. We must avoid the trap of only thinking in narrow and transactional terms.

The EU is a community of values, with co-operation, close cultural relations and solidarity. It seeks, through common policies to meet common challenges from climate crisis and sustainable societies to security.

Scottish membership of the EU should be seen as a potent response to a troubled European history and today’s challenges.

Our interests are as much about standards, values and our way of life as about economic advantage.Many Scots see the possibility of EU membership as a positive argument in favour of Scottish independence. The prospect of joining the EU is more attractive than being tied to the increasingly chaotic, failing and negative UK.

Scots have different aspirations and while EU membership would not be a panacea, it is likely to favour the independence movement.

Peter Glissov, Edinburgh

Will anti-windpower Luddites admit error?

With the news that over a quarter of Britain's electricity last year came courtesy of wind power are the knee-jerk wind-Luddites feeling stupid yet?

Or will they take their tin hats off in acknowledgement they got it very, very wrong about how much energy can come from renewables?Of course, had they bothered looking back at humanity harvesting the free energy of nature for the last four thousand years (eg. windmills and watermills), they might have realised the absurdity of their mulish stance in the first place.

Mark Boyle, Johnstone

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