Cash plea from council as Midlothian nearly triple the average growth in housing compared to rest of Scotland

Midlothian saw by far the fastest growth in the number in households in Scotland, according to new data released by the National Records of Scotland.

To let and for sale signs pictured on Queensferry Road in Edinburgh

Household growth in Midlothian was almost double the average across Scotland, a new report from the National Records of Scotland has shown.

The local authority saw a rise of 15.6 per cent in the number of households, defined as a group of people living in one house or flat, compared to 6.1 per cent across the rest of Scotland on average.

East Lothian was third on the list with a growth of 10.8 per cent in the number of households, with West Lothian also seeing growth of 8.7 per cent.

It comes as Edinburgh’s own growth continued, hitting an 8.1 per cent rise in households, as pressure on housing in the city continues to ramp up.

Midlothian council leader, Derek Milligan, called on the Scottish Government to ensure local authorities seeing such steep increases would get the financial help to continue to deliver services.

He said: “We are very well aware we are, by far, the fastest growing authority in Scotland. More households mean more people and greater demand on services, especially as we’re all living longer.

“This rapid growth brings both challenges and opportunities, especially in the current financial climate - the coronavirus response has already cost us in excess of £9 million.

“It’s vital therefore that growth is manageable and sustainable. We want people who live locally to enjoy a good quality of life and be able to access excellent schools, good public transport, leisure facilities, healthcare, jobs and green spaces.”

Plans are in place for a £153 million capital investment in the area, with £88 million spent on social housing, with a further £321 million planned for future years.

Cllr Milligan added: “With regards other private housing, the number of new homes being built is largely dictated by the Scottish government, so with council tax only making up 25 per cent of Midlothian Council’s income with the rest coming from Scottish government, we really need to make sure we’re getting the financial support we need from it to provide the services our communities require.

“In addition housing developers must continue to contribute too to help build new roads and schools, for example.”

Cllr Kate Campbell, Edinburgh’s housing, homelessness and fair work convener, said: “Housing in Edinburgh is under severe pressure so it’s no surprise to see these figures.

“We have only 14 per cent social housing compared to an average of 25 per cent across Scotland and too many people are struggling to afford private sector rents which are being pushed up further by high numbers of short term lets.

“That’s why we’re investing £2.5b over ten years to deliver one of the most ambitious house building programmes of any local authority, alongside investment to create better services and improvements to existing homes.

“And it’s why we’ve taken action on short term lets through planning, and whey we made the case to the Scottish Government for licensing to give us the powers we need to properly control numbers, concentration and protect homes and communities.

“The pressure on housing in Edinburgh will continue, but we’ll do what we can to mitigate those pressures by building homes, and protecting the ones we already have.”