Bench-marking reports published last week revealed that a projected 3,006 homes will be built for this year, compared to 1,832 in 2017/18, while 1,930 homes have been approved (2017/18: 1,475),which is 230 above target.

Repeat presentations of homelessness over the period fell to 5.5% from 7.9% in 2017/18.

Other achievements from the city’s annual performance report to date include improvements in road and waste services, reducing carbon emissions and increasing educational attainment.

Council leader Adam McVey said: “We’ve made a huge amount of progress over the last 12 months and the results of many of the changes we’ve introduced are clear to see. Thousands of new homes are being built, our road condition is getting better and educational attainment across our communities is improving. We’ve seen another significant drop in waste complaints and carbon emissions showing we can continue to improve our basic services while working towards our long term ambitions for Edinburgh. These figures show we’re recording better performance in many areas we know are important to residents.

“We’ll continue to work hard for our citizens and prioritise the issues that matter to them. We face a number of challenges which weren’t foreseen and our plans on how the City adapts to COVID will help us sustain progress, prioritise investment to drive down carbon emissions further and support those residents most in need.

“Despite the challenges which still lie ahead, we remain committed to building on all of the achievements we’ve made to date. With nearly two years until the next council election we’re well on our way to achieving 48 of our 52 Coalition Commitments, having delivered plans for more classroom assistants and smashed our target for new trees with a net increase of more than 12,000 delivered so far. Major infrastructure improvements like the new Meadowbank Sports Centre and Tram to Newhaven are crucial to our City’s wellbeing and sustainable future as are the thousands of new low-carbon homes being built. COVID has shown us how fragile progress can be but it’s also shown us how much we can do with the will to do it.”

Depute leader Cammy Day said: “We deliver over 700 services every year for residents and visitors, from Council housing and care homes to making sure children receive the right start in life and the education they deserve. As we provide these services, our priority is to support our most vulnerable residents, focus on sustainable growth and address poverty – so I’m pleased to see a lot of improvements made in areas like health, the environment and education.

“While a great amount of progress has been made, there are still areas for improvement and we’re working to address these. The inequality gap still exists and we will continue to do all we can to make Edinburgh a more inclusive city, particularly as we recover from the COVID pandemic. Alongside annual progress, we also need to look to the future. Our Coalition Commitments will put measures in place to make Edinburgh the fairer, greener city we are aspiring to.”