The next phase of a £1.3 billion development in Edinburgh has moved forward.
City of Edinburgh Council has published a Proposal Application Notice (PAN) for phase one of its Granton Waterfront regeneration scheme.
Three miles from Edinburgh city centre, the project will transform one of Scotland’s ‘largest brownfield sites’ into a sustainable and connected coastal town.
The council has partnered with Cruden Homes (East) for the development, with its design team comprising lead architect, Smith Scott Mullan Associates, and landscape designers, OPEN (Optimised Environments Ltd.).
Cruden won the contract for phase one of the scheme in June 2022 and will be working with around 50 hectares of brownfield land, and a further 200 hectares of green space and parkland.
The firm’s design plan for a ‘20 minute neighbourhood’ includes:
- Around 750 net zero homes (at least 35% will be affordable housing).
- A primary school.
- Commercial units.
- Transport infrastructure and active travel routes.
Phase one of the scheme will also see the restoration and transformation of Granton’s more than a century old gasholder into an accessible open greenspace for community use.
The gasholder will continue to be lit and reserved as a key destination at the heart of the regeneration scheme.
More than £16 million of Levelling Up funding is being put toward the restoration, and decontaminating surrounding land on the site.
Work on the gasholder is expected to start this year and finish in Summer 2024.
Full scope
Over the next 15 years, the regeneration aims to deliver:
- 3,500 net-zero homes.
- A low carbon heat network.
- Cultural and retail facilities.
The first and future phases of the project will also involve a range of carbon energy solutions that affirm the council’s goal to reach net-zero by 2030.
Other early development projects tied in with Granton involve the construction of more than 500 for sale and affordable rent at Western Villages and the site behind Granton Station Building.
What happens next?
The PAN for phase one will involve a series of meeting events for the public, with in-person events scheduled for13 June and 17 June at the Granton Station building, 1 Granton Station Square.
An online event will be held on 22 June, and a ‘You Said, We Did’ event will be held in person on 23 August at 1 Granton Station Square.
“Sustainable regeneration like this is so important as we transition towards a greener economy in our Capital,” said Cammy Day, council leader for the city of Edinburgh.
“We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here to build a 20-minute neighbourhood completely from scratch with affordable net zero homes, shops, cultural and leisure and education facilities all close by.”
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