Gina Davidson: Will city's entertainment venue dream come true?

For years there has been talk of how Edinburgh needs a large-capacity arena to host high-profile events. Gina Davidson looks at three contenders

Since the 1980s, it has been widely agreed by the city council, developers, sports bodies and the music business that the city is lacking a large indoor music and sports venue and, as a result, losing out as people travel to the SECC in Glasgow instead.

Plans have come and gone due to a mixture of inertia, high land values and legal wrangling.

Now, suddenly, there are three such schemes being mooted. Is it likely that any of them will finally see the light of day?

First is the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society for Scotland, which has a 10,000-capacity complex at its existing site, but wants to build a new 6,000-capacity venue. With a proposed move to land across the A8 postponed until at least 2020, the organisers have decided to plough on with a 75 million investment, though the proposal still needs permission from the council's planning committee.

Right next door is the site for the latest idea,which is being floated by New Ingliston Limited, an industrial development business, which owns 240 acres of land between the airport and the Royal Bank of Scotland's headquarters at Gogarburn.

It seems that NIL wants to build a new indoor concert arena with a 15,000-capacity, which would be served by the new rail and tram transport links at Gogar.

Finally, and perhaps most surprisingly, is a scheme from Susan Boyle's brother, Gerry. He wants to open an indoor entertainment complex with a 10,000-capacity music venue in the Newbridge Industrial Estate, transforming an empty unit into a major complex capable of staging events that could be broadcast globally.

All three schemes are just twinkles in their developers' eyes as the city council is currently re-drafting the West Edinburgh "strategic design framework" otherwise known as a new planning blueprint for the area from Gogar to Newbridge. Within it there is no mention of any such massive venue in the vicinity.

The council, which is not working in conjunction with any of the developers – although it has talked to all three – has yet to receive any planning applications, but the view is still held that the city does need a new, large concert venue.

A council-commissioned study last year found strong backing from music promoters for a new indoor concert arena – although most experts said it was hard to justify a venue with a capacity of more than 6,000. Still, it was estimated that even at that size, at least 17m a year in economic benefit could be generated.

There is a belief that a site in west Edinburgh, with access to the M8 and the airport, is more feasible now than the Waterfront, which the council had previously favoured.

Peter Watton, head of physical development support at the council, has only 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, but it's at a very early stage."

The Edinburgh Playhouse is currently the city's biggest indoor music venue, with a capacity of just over 3,000, while the Corn Exchange is a close second, holding just a few hundred fewer.

Mark Mackie, director of promoter Regular Music, believes there is capacity in Edinburgh for a big venue. He says: "The thing is a venue can't pay for itself on concerts alone so it needs to be very flexible. Even the SECC depends on its major exhibitions to make money, and that means that when the Baby Show or the Food Show or something is on, musicians can't play there, so they just don't come to Scotland because there's nowhere in Edinburgh.

"It's the same with Edinburgh Castle. It's a fantastic venue but you only have it on certain weekends".

No-one from the RHASS or New Ingliston Limited was available to talk about their plans. NIL's website only states that it believes the land is of "importance" and is a "unique 'national asset'.

Gerry Boyle, who has been in talks with property developer Derek Tyson, who owns the Newbridge site, has said: "I do believe this is a genuine proposition. I have made a number of great contacts over the last few months thanks to Susan's success and there is a lot of interest in what I'm proposing. Nothing like this exists in Scotland at the moment."

Whether anything like it ever does depends on that new planning blueprint.