City maps out plan for vast £20m park

Published on Thursday 22 April 2004 01:00

A MASSIVE public park, more than twice the size of the Royal Botanic Garden, is to be created in the Capital following a £20 million-plus land deal.

Woods and farmland covering 150 acres across the south-east of Edinburgh have been snapped up by the council-owned development company EDI.

The land will be transformed into a giant woodland park, similar to the ones at Braid Hills and Corstorphine Hill, featuring a network of paths and cycle routes.

The new park will complete a "green corridor" stretching from Holyrood to the edge of the Capital. A large part of the parkland will be used to create a new area similar to the Meadows.

The land has been sold to EDI by the Don-Wauchope family, which has owned the site for 400 years, in a deal understood to be worth at least 20m.

City leaders said the scheme would transform the south-east of the city and improve the life of the people who live and work there, as well as attracting more visitors. It is expected that the public will have access to the park by the end of next year, although it will take longer to complete.

The area involved stretches from the Craigmillar Castle Countryside Park, down behind the Royal Infirmary to Danderhall. It includes a valley which is crossed by a burn and, on its southern edge, the Edmonstone Ridge.

About 50 acres of land adjoining The Wisp and Old Dalkeith Road will be part of the park. Two new public landscaped 50-acre areas will also be created under the plans - new woodland on the side of the Edmonstone Ridge and the new park similar to the Meadows.

A range of improvements are expected to be carried out including planting trees on the Edmonstone Ridge to create new wooded areas.

The area originally formed part of a series of landed estates that ran from the centre of Edinburgh into Midlothian and East Lothian.

Council leader Donald Anderson said: "For people who live and work in south-east Edinburgh, this will be like having a huge extended garden right on their doorstep.

"This area is fast becoming a magnet for visitors throughout the city as well. The nearby Craigmillar Castle Park is a huge area of parkland and a wonderful asset for the city.

"The increase in urban living means that open spaces are ever more priceless and need to be cherished. We recognise this and are taking action to make Edinburgh an even greener city. We have provided more parks than ever before, with the creation of over 300 acres of new parks in the last few years, and have more trees than we did 100 years ago. We aim to improve yet further."

Councillor Ian Perry, chairman of EDI, said: "It will open up the historic parklands for residents of areas such as Craigmillar and Moredun to enjoy as well as people working in the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. The move will dramatically improve the appearance of the area both for residents and for visitors to the city coming along the Old Dalkeith Road.

"The future growth and development of the city doesn’t depend only on new homes and commercial developments. If we are to maintain Edinburgh’s reputation for a high quality of life, we need new areas of recreational open space in those parts of the city, such as the south-east, that will grow over the next few years."

Ian Wall, chief executive of EDI, added: "We sometimes forget that open space only enhances the quality of life if it is attractive or accessible to people. We need to put the same level of energy and inventiveness into how we manage our open spaces as we do our new building developments."

Health chiefs at the new ERI praised the plan. Professor David Bolton, acting chief executive of NHS Lothian’s university hospitals division, said: "This development really is good news. By providing outdoor leisure and recreational opportunities it will enhance the quality of life for people who work and live in the adjoining areas."