Exclusive:Plans for major new 'urban quarter' with 3,000 homes in Edinburgh recommended for approval

Ambitious proposals for a major new community spanning thousands of houses on western edge of Edinburgh have been recommended for approval by planners.

The Elements Edinburgh development, earmarked for a 72 acre expanse of land near Edinburgh Airport, envisages around 3,000 properties and tens of thousands of square metres of commercial space as part of a neighbourhood that developers promise will offer a “perfect blend of life, work, learning, and nature.”

Initial plans for the major mixed-use development were submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council in 2020, but after the council failed to make a decision, they were rejected by Scottish ministers. Now, a revised planning application, originally lodged in February, this year, has been recommended for approval by the local authority’s chief planning officer, David Givan, who concluded that subject to a number of conditions, the vision would be deemed “acceptable in principle”.

According to his report, Crosswind Developments Ltd, the firm behind the development, plans to build a maximum of 3,005 flatted dwellings, as well 50,000 square metres of commercial space, 5,300 square metres of retail, restaurants, and leisure floorspace. Around 1,000 of the properties would be affordable housing, with Crosswind exploring options with registered social landlords.

The Elements Edinburgh scheme is shown in colour, bordered by the Edinburgh Trams depot to the south, rail line to Forth Bridge to the east, Edinburgh Airport to the north and the tree-lined Gogar Burn to the west. Picture: Crosswind | Crosswind Developments

The new development, known as Elements Edinburgh, would also include a primary school with early years provision, open space and landscaping, and approximately 1,000 car parking spaces. The council report also notes that the plans also include “two to three” hotel developments.

The majority of the shares in Crosswind are held by Fleur Bidco Limited, a UK subsidiary of Vinci, the French company which acquired a £1.27 billion majority stake in Edinburgh Airport earlier this year. The remaining shareholdings are ultimately managed by Global Infrastructure Partners, the private equity firm which also retains a minority holding in the airport.

Crosswind itself is chaired by Steve Dunlop, a former chief executive of Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Canals, with John Watson from Global Infrastructure Partners serving as chief executive. When the latest plans were submitted to the council, Mr Watson described the £1bn Elements Edinburgh as being of “national significance” in terms of its economic impact and sustainability.

Mr Givan’s report points out that the proposal - situated between the established residential areas of Cammo, East Craigs, and South Gyle, and the commercial centres of Edinburgh Park and Natwest’s Gogarburn campus - is supported by the new City Plan strategy that was recently adopted by the council, and complies with development principles laid out under what is known as the West Edinburgh Placemarking Framework.

But it also points out that 3,000 plus homes that are planned exceed the housing allocation of 2,500 units in the city’s local development plan, and advises that as long as the developers can demonstrate that the additional units can be accommodated with “detrimental effects” or “overdevelopment” impacting on the local infrastructure and environment, they would be deemed “acceptable in principle”.

​Steve Dunlop is the chair of Crosswind, the firm behind the plans. Picture: Mike Wilkinson

The report also recommends that in addition to the proposed primary school, a new secondary school capable of accommodating up to 1,800 pupils, and associated community facilities, will be required in order to ensure the educational infrastructure is in place. It proposes extensive developer contributions towards new school buildings totalling more than £40m, which would be secured through a planning obligation. It also recommends a contribution of more than £18m towards a new health practice, and tens of millions of pounds towards Edinburgh’s tram and road networks.

Both Cramond and Barnton Community Council and Ratho and District Community Council have objected to Crosswind’s plans, citing the impact on traffic congestion and other issues. Others to raise concerns include Colin Brown, an environmental health officer with the council, who said it was “hard to justify” the significant levels of parking spaces, and warned the scale of the parking would impact on air pollution levels.

Mr Givan’s report concludes that once all factors are taken into account, the creation of the “new urban quarter” is considered acceptable in principle. “Matters raised by other development plan policies in relation to design, layout, landscape, placemaking, open space, heritage, transport and infrastructure, amenity, and environmental considerations such as climate change, biodiversity, protected species, and water management, have been addressed by the proposal,” it states.

“A sufficient level of detail has been articulated by the parameter plans, design and access statement, and other supporting documentation to demonstrate that the proposal is compliant with the applicable requirements and policy aspirations of the development plan, subject to securing detailed designs through multi-stage planning applications and the attached conditions.

“Overall, subject to conditions, reserved matters as specified, and the conclusion of a suitable legal agreement, the proposal complies with the applicable requirements and policy aspirations of the development plan.”

The conditions attached to the recommendation include a phasing framework plan for the entire application site, the location of roads, footpaths, and cycle routes linked to the development, a programme of archaeological work, and an approved bird hazard management plan.

The application in question is only for planning permission in principle, and will require the approval of councillors on the local authority’s development management subcommittee, given it is deemed as being of “significant public interest,” with the level of the developer contributions exceeding the threshold for delegated decisions. Councillors on the committee are due to meet on 18 December, where they are expected to vote on the application.