Charity seeks to relocate its ‘homeless village’ with 15 homes to a new green belt location despite council officer objections.
Social Bite Village planned this move months ago because its current lease with Edinburgh Council ended. The city wants to build on the old site and developers will work with the city once the lease expires. Sixteen people currently live there, with new people arriving as others secure housing.
A report advises councillors to deny permission, as the new site sits on the city’s greenbelt, going against planning guidelines. The new location is near Gypsy Brae grounds and the charity seeks short-term approval, with most buildings moving from the old site.
Josh Littlejohn discussed the project’s impact, stating the village helped many homeless people. The new site is close to the current one, which matters to the residents, and he hopes councillors value supported housing, especially since Edinburgh faces a housing crisis.
Officers said the site doesn’t fit city plans because housing use risks the greenbelt’s status. Social Bite wants 10 years of occupancy, which officers deemed not “temporary,” though this was not explicitly cited.
If approved, they will build seven new single units. A central hub would include a kitchen and laundry, and residents will maintain allotments on the site, an arrangement mirroring the current village setup.
The site offers views of the Firth of Forth and the Forth Bridges. Treelines border the area on two sides, which now extends the Gypsy Brae park, and traveler groups sometimes use it.
Cyrenians runs the village day-to-day, while Social Bite owns the property. Social Bite started in 2012, providing meals and raising funds for the homeless, and also runs the Edinburgh housing location.