Massive indoor arena planned for capital to rival Glasgow's SECC

Officials have revealed that a new blueprint for West Edinburgh will safeguard land for a multi-million pound complex which would aim to compete with the SECC in Glasgow.

The city council is working with a major property owner in the area on plans for an arena with a capacity up to 15,000, which would be served by the proposed new transport hub at Gogar.

The site is part of an international business district being pursued by Edinburgh-based developer New Ingliston Limited.

The firm owns some 240 acres of land between the airport's existing site and the Royal Bank of Scotland's headquarters at Gogarburn. Although part of the site is earmarked for an airport expansion, the developers hope to attract at least one major firm to base its headquarters there, as well as the arena.

However, if given the go-ahead, it would be in direct competition with facilities run by the organisers of the Royal Highland Show.

The Royal Highland and Agricultural Society for Scotland, which has a 10,000 capacity complex at its existing site, is also pursuing an additional 6,000-capacity venue. It was forced to shelve plans to relocate to a new site after the airport put its own expansion plans on hold until at least 2020.

First details of the new development by NIL have emerged less than a year after a council-commissioned study found strong backing from promoters for a new indoor concert arena in the capital, although most experts said it was hard to justify a venue with a capacity of more than 6,000.

At the time the city's waterfront was seen as the most attractive site, but efforts to regenerate Leith and Granton have been put back years by the economic downturn.

Insiders at the city council say West Edinburgh is a much more realistic proposition, due to its closer proximity to the M8, the growth in the airport, and planned public transport improvements in the area.

One source said: "Although it would take several years to get this kind of development off the ground at Ingliston, it's a very realistic proposition when you look at what else is happening in the area. There are going to be major improvements at the Royal Highland Centre, and the arrival of the new rail link at Gogar and the launch of the trams will encourage a lot of new development. The future regeneration of the waterfront is looking a lot further behind."

Peter Watton, head of physical development support at the council, said: "We're looking at these proposals in the context of a whole planning framework for West Edinburgh. We're talking with the developers about a major indoor arena, with a capacity of up to 15,000, but it's at a very early stage."

No-one at NIL could be contacted yesterday but its website states: "The land is situated between the new Royal Bank headquarters and the airport itself. The importance of it as a unique 'national asset' has been acknowledged by the Scottish Government. The site is likely to become a site for future international headquarters as well as being partially zoned for the expansion of airport. It represents a major economic generator not just for Edinburgh but Scotland as a whole."

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