Global hub ideas take flight

A £310 MILLION vision for a massive site next to Edinburgh Airport, including a world trade centre, concert arena, hotels and a newly-created business district has been unveiled - and work could start as early as next year.

• Plans include a business hub and a music venue

It is estimated that development of the Edinburgh International site could be worth up to 4.4 billion for Scotland's economy and lead to the creation of around 3600 jobs.

A new ten-year blueprint for the sites, which include Edinburgh Airport, the Royal Highland Centre and a massive chunk of undeveloped land owned by Edinburgh-based New Ingliston Limited, today shows the area becoming a major new community that will attract people from across the Central Belt and beyond.

But it is set to come at a cost - with up to 33m of public funding required to upgrade roads and utilities before most of the development can get under way.

Despite the funding required, city council chiefs insist they are confident that the consortium of organisations that includes the council, Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise can come up with the money.

Dave Anderson, director of city development at the council, said: "It provides a sustainable location that is well-connected to the Central Belt and is an obvious part of Edinburgh to be developed because it sits alongside public transport corridors, is next to Edinburgh Airport and near the proposed new Forth crossing."

Initial designs for the concert arena were revealed today but the city council is expected to hold a formal procurement process in the summer to attract an operator, subject to councillors approving the site.

It is estimated that the arena could cost around 50m to build but it is expected to attract other leisure uses to the area, including restaurants and cafes.

Mr Anderson said: "The plan is to build amenities and make it a really lively place. That is why we are facilitating more public transport, so that it is more sustainable and there is that ability to get people from the Central Belt to come in to the edge of Edinburgh without congesting the city centre."

The plans have been drawn up by the Edinburgh International Development Partnership between the council, Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government and landowners.

Transport projects are already taking place that will benefit the site, including the tram project, which will include an Edinburgh International stop, the 37m rail/tram interchange on the Edinburgh-Fife line and the new "Dalmeny chord" that will allow some of the Edinburgh-Glasgow trains to stop at the new west Edinburgh rail station.

But it is estimated that between 15m and 17m of additional transport improvements are needed to serve the development and the increasing passenger numbers using Edinburgh Airport. One of the main upgrades proposed is widening Eastfield Road - the main access road to Edinburgh Airport - and making it a dual carriageway in 2012-13, a project expected to cost 4.5m. The Dumbbells junction of the A8 would also be improved at a cost of 4.4m, while upgrades are planned for Gogar Roundabout and the Newbridge motorway interchange. Electricity supplies and water infrastructure both also need to be upgraded to deal with the extra demand, at a cost of around 13m. But Mr Anderson insists that it is realistic to get the funding required.

He said: "There is a fair degree of confidence across the agencies involved that, if you forward plan over ten years and take the 30m figure and say 'can the council afford part of that over ten years', then I don't think that is necessarily an unrealistic proposal."

The full 310m cost of the blueprint includes improvements to Edinburgh Airport, the Royal Highland Centre and development of the first phase of the international business gateway, funded by private landowners. Edinburgh Airport projects include the diversion of the Gogar Burn to prevent flooding, and the creation of eight new aircraft stands.

The Royal Highland Centre - to become Scotland's National Showground - is to see an expansion of the showground area, new hotels, a new MacRobert Pavilion, office development and a new exhibition hall.

At the international business gateway site, a first phase of commercial development and the completion of the arena is expected to happen between 2014 and 2017 at a cost of 110m.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said: "Scottish ministers are pleased to endorse the West Edinburgh Implementation Plan. Whilst not a commitment to future funding from the Scottish Government, the implementation plan is a positive example of what can be achieved to facilitate long-term growth despite the difficult economic climate."

When and where some of the main projects will happen . .

2011:

• Masterplan to be submitted to planning for first phase of "international business gateway"

• Development of new hotels at Scotland's National Showground

2012-13:

• New 350-bedroom hotel open at Edinburgh Airport

• 4.4m of improvements to A8 Dumbbells junction

• 4.5m project to widen Eastfield Road

• Completion of 37m Edinburgh Gateway tram/rail interchange station

2014-2017:

• Creation of new 20m multi-storey car park at Edinburgh Airport

• 50m arena development completed

• First phase of 60m commercial development at the international business gateway site

2018-2021:

• Diversion of the Gogar Burn to the east of the airport

• Creation of eight new aircraft stands at the airport

• Development of 6m exhibition hall at showground