£30m Edinburgh business park plans unveiled

PLANS are today due to be unveiled for a £30 million business park and hotel development on the outskirts of Edinburgh.

The complex will be developed by a consortium led by Mike Rutterford, the millionaire property magnate, and will comprise three office buildings and a 120-bedroom six-storey hotel.

To be named Lothian Park, it will be built on 12.4 acres of land at the eastern end of the city bypass, adjacent to the Old Craighall junction and A1.

It is hoped the development, which has already secured outline planning consent, will create up to 800 jobs. The owners are in talks with a number of firms interested in taking some of the 64,500sq ft of office space. Property agents Eric Young & Co and CB Richard Ellis are also approaching hotel operators and developers.

Rutterford said the new commercial centre could, in time, rival Edinburgh Park. He believes there is a "major gap in the provision of premier business and leisure space at the eastern gateway to the city of Edinburgh", particularly when taking into account the huge swathes of commuters living in East Lothian and the Borders.

"Queen Margaret University's new campus nearby has helped to reinforce the location's excellent accessibility, not only by private transport but also by numerous bus routes and an excellent rail service linking the city centre to the heart of East Lothian," he said.

"It makes no sense having so many commuters from East Lothian making their way into the city centre for work when we can provide an excellent resource at a major junction into the city."

He added that the leisure market also had "room for growth", with the site offering holidaymakers easy access to Edinburgh city, golf courses and retail facilities.