How a former Edinburgh packaging plant will be transformed into 1,000 homes and hotel

Revised plans for a major development on the western fringes of Edinburgh that could provide 1,000 new homes are to be put out for public scrutiny.

Maybury Quarter Edinburgh, on the site of the former Saica packaging facility, is also likely to feature a hotel with up to 200 bedrooms, retail provision, “extensive” green spaces and, potentially, a local community facility.

Regeneration specialist Summix Capital said the plans presented a “unique opportunity” to regenerate the former industrial location on Turnhouse Road, which covers more than 15 acres. The brownfield site is allocated in the city council’s City Plan 2030 for residential-focused redevelopment.

An impression of how the new plans for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh will look.

A second public consultation event is being held this Wednesday, September 11, at Delta Hotels by Marriott, on Glasgow Rd, between 2pm and 7pm. Developers said this would provide the local community with the opportunity to shape the proposals, prior to the submission of a planning application to the local council later this year. It follows an initial public consultation held in March and will respond to feedback and comments from that event and “other stakeholder engagement”.

It is hoped that the proposals for Maybury Quarter will deliver a “balanced mix of uses that promote health, wellbeing and sustainable lifestyles which are designed to encourage a strong sense of place and community”, according to updated submission. The residential element proposed will include affordable housing, helping to address the city’s well-publicised housing emergency, and the provision of accessible family homes and build to rent (BTR) accommodation.

Stuart Black, development director for Summix Capital, said: “We are delighted to be giving the local community the chance to view and give feedback on our updated proposals for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh. The public comments received so far, along with other stakeholder feedback received, have proved invaluable in shaping this development, and we would like to thank all those who have taken the time to input into this process to date.

“Our exciting proposals provide a unique opportunity to redevelop one of the last major pieces of brownfield land in the city into a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community. This will ensure that Maybury Quarter Edinburgh fulfils our vision to be one of the most exciting and best-connected development sites in Scotland.”

Spanish paper and cardboard company Saica has relocated to a purpose-built facility at Deans Road in Livingston. The group is active in nine other European countries.

Last week, The Scotsman reported on plans to use the vacant Maybury site as a major festival venue. The former plant is expected to host several events staged by the city’s Hidden Door festival before it is transformed into the mixed-use scheme.

Towering buildings and warehouses will be transformed by live music, visual art and site-specific performances. The next two Hidden Door events are due to be staged in November and in the spring at the venue. And the festival has secured permission from the new owners of the site, which Hidden Door has named The Paper Factory, to use the site until the end of 2025.