Regeneration specialist inks deal to create 1,000 homes on site at gateway to west Edinburgh

“Large-scale prime sites such as this rarely come to the market in the city,” says one party in the deal.

More than 1,000 homes are to be built on the western edge of Edinburgh as part of a masterplan focused on what has been branded “one of the most exciting development prospects in Edinburgh”.

The 15.5-acre, mixed-use, residential-led development site at the gateway to west Edinburgh at Maybury has now been purchased by sustainable regeneration specialist Summix, in a deal brokered by Savills for seller Saica, having been identified in the City Plan 2030 as capable of delivering just over 1,000 new homes for the city. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, while Spanish-based paper and cardboard company Saica has relocated to a purpose-built facility in Livingston.

Edinburgh City Council had unveiled The West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework and Strategic Masterplan, looking at development at the site to the north of Gogarburn, outlining a “range of new opportunities for housing” amid a bid to create a 20-minute neighbourhood including facilities such as medical centres.

'The site’s regeneration has the potential to provide much-needed homes, employment, and investment,' say buyer Summix. Picture: contributed.

Ben Brough, head of development for Savills development, has now welcomed Summix being the successful bidder given its track record in “designing and delivering thriving new mixed-used communities”. He also said: “Our client was clear from the outset that it would prioritise interest from parties who aligned with their own commitment to supporting sustainable communities in the places they operate. Edinburgh is on a growth trajectory, and their aspirations chime with the council’s vision to transform the west of the capital into a high-density, mixed-use extension to the city with a focus on placemaking, sustainability, and connectivity.”

Summix specialises in development projects across the UK and Ireland, and says it has delivered thousands of homes since its foundation in 2006. It explains that it takes on “the most challenging sites, ranging from vacant possession to dormant, dilapidated structures, and developing a viable plan for their redevelopment and repurposing”. In 2017, the Summix Capital Partners I LP fund was launched to help it deliver larger and more complex projects.

Stuart Black, development director for Summix, commented on the new Edinburgh deal, saying: “The purchase of this former industrial site provides a very exciting opportunity for us as a business... As new custodians, it provides an incredible opportunity to redevelop one of the last major pieces of brownfield land in the city into a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community.

“The site’s regeneration has the potential to provide much-needed homes, employment, and investment, helping to address the current housing emergency, and taking advantage of and strengthening already excellent public transport links by train, tram, bus, and cycle. This purchase reinforces our continued commitment to invest in the capital, and we look forward to engaging with the community and other key stakeholders on our exciting proposals for the site in due course.”

Edinburgh-based Scarlett Land and Development acted for Summix in the acquisition, and director Will Scarlett hailed his firm’s role in the purchase of “one of the most exciting development prospects in Edinburgh”. He also said: “Large-scale prime sites such as this rarely come to the market in the city, and [it] provides an ideal opportunity to regenerate a former industrial site for a residential-led mixed-use development. Its redevelopment by Summix will prove a welcome addition to the community.”