Consensus Capital sets ambitious 3,500 affordable homes target

Specialist real estate and private equity asset management firm Consensus Capital is aiming to provide nearly 3,500 affordable homes to help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis.

Chief executive Mark Emlick set the ambitious target over the next two decades after receiving acclaim for the company’s initial projects.

Its latest project to renovate a former office block to provide much needed homes is in the running for a prestigious award. The redevelopment of Craigievar House into 44 flats is on the shortlist for the Scottish Home Awards 2016, which showcases property excellence.

The firm’s work at Craigivar is one of many similar registered social landlord schemes. Over a period of 20 years the firm aims to provide 3,450 residential units with retail, commercial, education and transport links - with most in Scotland.

The scheme, developed by Consensus Capital for Places for People, has helped reenergise an area of west Edinburgh and bring an empty block back to use. The tasteful and sympathetic renovation has created a series of one and two bedroom apartments with parking from the restructured office block and new build construction.

The redundant three storey office block with white concrete panels had become an eyesore before Emlick moved to regenerate it with timber clad sections and modern designs. The development has proved a popular addition to the area which is five miles from the city centre and all its apartments have been occupied.

It is now on a shortlist of ten properties in the Renovation of the Year section of the awards, which will be held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday, June 16.

Meanwhile in central Edinburgh, 48 affordable homes, consisting of a mixture of one, two and three bedroom homes, were created in 2014 in another project. Emlick’s scheme provides a mixture of 30 social and 18 mid-market rental properties, in the old Horizon Building in Lochend.

Mr Emlick added: “We are extremely proud of what we have achieved so far and have more projects in the pipeline.”