October 24 2024

The former Edmonstone estate south-east of Edinburgh will host additional family homes rather than apartment blocks as first envisaged with the submission of revised proposals.

Alba Developments has had a change of heart for the fifth and final element of the broader masterplan following discussions with planning officers, dispensing with 176 apartments in favour of 27 detached villas and terraced townhouses.

New plans penned by 7N Architects show how generously scaled homes of up to 232sq/m will be inserted into established woodland alongside terraced townhouses, one of which will rise from the ruins of an old stable block.

All homes will be offered for private sale with no affordable housing provision. The lower-density approach has been chosen to minimise the impact on trees, woodland and archaeology; notably the footprint of Edmonstone House itself which is now reserved as a landscaped no-build zone.

In a statement, the practice wrote: "The proposals have been developed in response to changing market demands, from an earlier apartment-led scheme, to one with a lighter touch within this unique site. The approach sensitively nestles the new homes within the woodland environment to create a forest community that is woven into the existing network of woodland trails across the site.  "The layout of the site and the landscape design, developed with LUC, addresses a complex array of existing conditions which required careful responses to mature trees, ancient woodland, an interpretation of the footprint of the historic Edmonstone House, as well as the remnants of its former stables buildings."

Latterly home to Edinburgh Bioquarter the area has grown rapidly as a residential address through projects such as an innovative walled garden development. The project team includes Scott Hobbs Planning, LUC, Atelier Ten and Will Rudd.  

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