The City of Edinburgh Council has recently initiated a series of public consultations, inviting individuals residing in and invested in the future of the western region of Edinburgh to participate.
These consultations aim to gather input from residents, employees, and visitors regarding sustainable growth in the area. The council seeks ideas on how to foster stronger connections, ensure cleanliness, promote environmental friendliness, and enhance fairness for all, thus creating a more prosperous community for the future.
Over the next few months there will be an opportunity to comment on three separate but linked key proposal documents:
- – Towards West Edinburgh 2050
- – West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework Strategic Masterplan
- – Broxburn to Maybury Public Transport and Active Travel Improvements.
Available to view together, these proposals could substantially develop the experience of living and moving around communities in the west of Edinburgh, helping the Capital to shape future planning policy and become a net zero city.
Towards West Edinburgh 2050 proposes how we could develop the area over the next 30 years. At this stage there are no detailed proposals but instead an overarching vision to be used as a starting point for discussion. This has been informed by the city’s current City Plan 2030 (used to guide physical development and planning applications) and City Mobility Plan (for transport infrastructure) and, as the document develops, it will be used to evolve these plans over time.
The West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework and Strategic Masterplan is a consultation on development to the north of Gogarburn, extending from Eastfield Road in the west to Maybury junction in the east, with Edinburgh Airport and Turnhouse Road to the north. There are a range of new opportunities for housing in this area as set out in City Plan 2030. The aim is to create a new 20-minute neighbourhood with a range of facilities which people will need to live well locally such as schools and medical centres. Feedback on this document will be used to finalise a master plan for this area which will go to the Planning Committee later this year for approval. The master plan will then guide future planning applications.
Travel connections for those living, working and visiting west Edinburgh need to be improved and to support future growth the Capital’s local authority is working with West Lothian Council to look at public transport and active travel links in the area along the A8/A89 between Broxburn to Maybury. Known as Broxburn to Maybury Transport Improvements this is a major transport improvement project. The project is funded through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. The plan is to have better-connected communities with major employment, education, healthcare and leisure opportunities easily accessible. This will also make it easier for more people to make more journeys by bus or by cycling, walking or wheeling.
Council Leader Cammy DayThe west of the city is an area of strategic importance locally, regionally and within Scotland and beyond.
It has three waterways, major rail and tram routes running through it and is home to the city’s busy airport which has more than 11m passengers passing through it every year. Leisure plays a big part in the community too. Every year the Royal Highland Centre in Ingliston hosts many prestigious international and national concerts, conferences, and other events. There are also several major educational establishments serving students locally and from all over the world. This all makes it a popular place to live, work and study and we need to take action to respond to the opportunities and challenges this presents.
We’re looking to create a new neighbourhood to the north of Gogarburn and so we’ve produced a proposed masterplan with a range of new opportunities for much needed affordable housing. We’re also using 20 minute neighbourhood principles as in the rest of the city to make sure future residents live well locally with schools, healthcare and leisure facilities nearby. Like other neighbourhoods in west Edinburgh this new community needs to be well connected to the rest of the city, the wider region and beyond through improved public transport links.
It’s an exciting time for the west of Edinburgh and I’d encourage you all to give us your views, whether that is online or at one of the drop in events we’ll be promoting in the coming months.
