A new public sector alliance, the South East Regional Delivery Alliance (SE-RDA), has been established to significantly accelerate the provision of much-needed affordable homes for rent across the south east of Scotland.

This collaborative effort brings together six local authorities: The City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, and West Lothian, with support from the public sector infrastructure body, the Scottish Futures Trust.

The SE-RDA aims to streamline the housing delivery process by providing local authorities and housing associations with an online knowledge hub. This hub will host freely-available home designs that utilise modern methods of construction (MMC). To date, the alliance has curated a library of net-zero ready house and flat types, developed in collaboration with the housebuilding industry. These designs, ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses, can be customised in various configurations, with several incorporating wheelchair accessibility, and are readily downloadable for appointed contractors and design teams.

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By unifying the efforts of these six councils, the SE-RDA seeks to establish a robust pipeline of proposed housing supply. This collective approach will provide the construction sector with greater foresight into future work, fostering efficiency and stability.

Speaking on behalf of the SE-RDA, Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Joint Committee Convener Jane Meagher highlighted the urgency of the initiative: "Scotland is facing a national housing emergency, with too many people struggling to access safe, warm, and affordable homes. The creation of the knowledge hub is a crucial step forward – giving partners a single space to share resources, modern designs, and building on what works. By working together and learning from each other, we can strengthen our response to the housing emergency and accelerate the delivery of the affordable homes that we so urgently need."

Ryan Cossar, who leads support from the Scottish Futures Trust for the SE-RDA, explained the practical benefits: "Collectively, we are providing local authorities and housing associations with the tools they need to get the construction of higher performing affordable homes underway quicker, with the SE-RDA front runner projects landing on site in around half the time compared to typical project delivery approaches."

He further noted that using off-site manufacturing improves construction quality, increases efficiency during the build phase, and results in homes that require less energy for heating and hot water, leading to lower energy bills for residents.

Additionally, bundling future housing projects across the six councils has led to improved procurement efficiencies and reduced development costs.