£2bn plans for 7,000-home Edinburgh scheme approved

The scheme, developed by West Town Edinburgh Ltd by Drum Property Group, is billed as one of the ‘most significant and sustainable urban expansions’ of Edinburgh in a generation.

Plans include space for:

• 7,000 new homes 
• Two schools (primary school for up to 630 pupils and a high school for up to 1200 pupils)
• 300-bed hotel 
• 300-apartment student accommodation
•  450,000 sq. ft. of mixed-use amenity space including:
  • Medical provision
  • Civic and community areas 
  • Bars, restaurants, cafes, retail, commercial and office space.

Councillors at CEC’s Development Sub Committee on Wednesday (4 December) voted unanimously to grant planning consent ‘in principle’ for the entire 205-acre ‘West Town’ site.

The move aims to ‘significantly tackle’ Edinburgh’s housing emergency.

In November last year, The City of Edinburgh Council declared a Housing Emergency, citing significant pressures to the city’s housing market, including homelessness rates and housing costs.

As of that time, there were roughly 5000 homeless households in Edinburgh, being supported in temporary accommodation, accounting for around 7000 individuals, with around 1300 of the overall homeless population living in accommodation that is classed as unsuitable.

The West Town site is located near the capital’s western gateway and is regarded as one of the most strategically important development areas anywhere in the UK. 

It is set to become ‘the biggest, single homes-led development in Edinburgh in modern times’, whilst a sustainable ‘20-minute’ neighbourhood.

Development plans follow guidelines set out by CEC’s City Plan 2030 which identifies the area as having the potential to become a vibrant, high-density city extension.

This includes the largest investment in social housing for Edinburgh in recent years, delivering around 2,500 new affordable homes.

Transport provision will focus on a new tram stop in the centre of the development linked to the Edinburgh Tram route running directly through the site, and an integrated bus service.

There will also be 27-acres of open green space – including a 5.5-acre central park, several pocket parks and a wildlife corridor criss-crossed by cycle, running and walking tracks.

Graeme Bone, Drum’s Group managing director said: “We now have the once-in-a-generation opportunity to make West Town an exemplar, sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood on a par with the best new developments taking place anywhere across the UK and Europe.

“The amount of space on the site, combined with its superb location, allows for a natural extension of the city, providing 7,000 mixed-tenure homes and new jobs in a new 20-minute neighbourhood. 

“West Town also has direct access to some of the best public transport in Scotland – the tram line travels through the site and there are integrated rail, cycle and road connections, creating a strategic gateway for the west of Edinburgh.

“Drum has a proven track record of delivering high quality large-scale communities across Scotland and our ambition for the area matches that of the City of Edinburgh Council. 

“We look forward to continuing to work with the Council to advance our shared vision to create a new, sustainable urban quarter for the city.”

The phasing of development will be determined through the submission of a phasing framework, 

Once this phasing framework is agreed, West Town Edinburgh will submit detailed planning applications for each construction phase

Initial phases will be focused on the new tram stop, creating a town centre early in the development with homes, a new school and commercial, community and amenity spaces.

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