Residents of the six multi storey blocks in the Calders, Edinburgh, are benefiting from a massive £4m investment by the city council.

Work will start early next year on a complete renovation of all 408 bathrooms and kitchens in the multi storeys at Cobbinshaw, Dunsyre and Medwin House.

Residents are now able to visit the show flat in Cobbinshaw House, by appointment, where they can sit down with designers to plan their new kitchen and bathrooms.

The £3m upgrade of the kitchens and bathrooms is one of a raft of investments being planned or already completed by the council.

After the upgrade, £400,000 will be spent renovating all the landings in the six high rises which will include new floorings, upgrading of décor and screen doors.

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In addition the council have already completed:

• Environmental improvements (£370,000) outside Medwin and Dunsyre House including a new children’s play park, re-designing the landscape with new pathways and fencing, improving lighting and creating a new recycling area
• Cladding repair and maintenance at all six blocks (£112,000)
• Painting of the external areas
• Replacing 380 front doors at a cost of £250,000
• A balcony amnesty aimed at reducing possibility of fires. This resulted in 30 van loads of unwanted domestic goods being sent to re-cycling
• Replacement of all canopies over the front entrances (£38,000)
• Stair and cladding damage replacement work following the fire at Dunsyre House (£100,000)

Councillor Paul Edie, Housing Leader for Edinburgh, said: "Quality of life is quite rightly high on the agenda for our tenants and this cash investment by the council demonstrates our commitment to making this a reality.

"Residents were consulted about improvements which have allowed them to contribute to decisions about how best to spend the money.

"This has resulted in significant improvements to the blocks, their homes and the local community."

In the past two years an additional £300,000 has been spent on re-roofing the six blocks.

(GK/KMcA)