September 4 2024

The City of Edinburgh Council has shared draft plans for a coastal community, tying together the established districts of Leith, Portobello, and Craigentinny as a seafront destination, ahead of a meeting of its planning committee on 11 September to discuss the project.

A 7N Architects masterplan envisages up to 2,700 mixed-tenure homes on land previously defined by low-intensity commercial use. Centred on a revitalised promenade and park the work will include measures to build resilience against a predicted rise in sea levels.

An enormous site centred on Seafield Road East has been chosen for the masterplan, stretching from the Forth Estuary to the Seafield Recreation Area. As many as 35% of the properties could be classed as affordable with a range of typologies being explored from apartments to colonies and townhouses. A primary school and GP surgery would also be built.

Councillor James Dalgleish said: "Our draft plan focuses on the creation of a new environmentally friendly neighbourhood at Seafield to help address the city’s housing emergency.

"Our bold vision to transform this area would open up the Seafield section of Edinburgh’s coastline creating an attractive and seamless promenade linking to the waterfront communities that already exist on either side."

rankinfraser Landscape Architecture, Max Fordham, Cundall and Nick Wright Planning are assisting with the design development. 

5 Comments

#1 Posted by Philip on 4 Sep 2024 at 18:10 PM

Struggling to pick out a bold vision unless the team are trying to push the crass seaside resort look. The CGI image looks like a dogs breakfast of random, clashing forms and scales.

#2 Posted by KB on 4 Sep 2024 at 18:26 PM

I think it looks pretty cool.
#1 I'm sure you would ooo and aah if this was in Rotterdam or Copenhagen etc.

#3 Posted by TARA on 5 Sep 2024 at 09:31 AM

I think this looks pretty exciting! I'd live there!

#4 Posted by Edin-Super-Mare on 5 Sep 2024 at 10:51 AM

This looks like a good first step: the active promenade, mix of apartments and family units, and what looks to be commercial units facing out to the coast all inspire confidence. I do think there's a bit of a missed opportunity in not having a consistent massing/ledge height along the center of the promenade. It seems like the perfect place for a strip of four over one blocks with the family units tucked in behind where their gardens won't be overlooked by the passers-by on the shorefront. In the areas where footfall is expected to be lower I'd be more convinced by family houses without a commercial ground floor directly on the promenade.

#5 Posted by town planner on 5 Sep 2024 at 11:23 AM

As usual with almost any Edinburgh proposal they are proposing low density development as the city steadily sprawls in all directions. Yes Edinburgh is different from Glasgow, but there are some locations, eg along the waterfront, where higher density is more appropriate. Three storey buildings on a site like this are incoherent with nature, climate and housing emergencies respectively, take your pick which one.

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