December 4 2024

Edinburgh's western fringe is set for significant densification after a 7,000-home neighbourhood including schools, a hotel and commercial space was approved in principle.

The 205-acre West Town proposal by Drum Property Group and 7N Architects received unanimous support from councillors, who view the project as a lynchpin in efforts to alleviate a housing crisis in the city.

The £2bn initiative would build out land between Ingliston Park and Ride and the Gogar Roundabout with dozens of apartment blocks clustered around a new tram stop. Provision has been made for a primary school for up to 630 pupils and a high school for up to 1200 pupils, a 300-bed hotel and 300 student beds.

Residents of the 20-minute neighbourhood will also have access to a 5.5-acre central park as well as 450,000sq/ft of amenity space including bars, shops and GP surgeries.

Graeme Bone, Drum’s group managing director said: “We now have the once-in-a-generation opportunity to make West Town an exemplar, sustainable 20-minute neighbourhood on a par with the best new developments taking place anywhere across the UK and Europe."

Detailed planning applications will now be produced for individual elements of the broader scheme, subject to agreement on a phasing schedule.

6 Comments

#1 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 4 Dec 2024 at 18:23 PM

It will be great to see all the capital gains tax rolling in as the farmland is converted to housing.

One to watch out for in the future,

I wonder if any of the landowners "live" overseas -- Channel Islands / BVI / Cayman Islands?

#2 Posted by TheFakeArchitect on 5 Dec 2024 at 10:10 AM

You wont be getting much sleep there being only a stones throw away from the airport! You can even see the beginning of the runway in the aerial image. Discussions with Environmental Health should be interesting..

#3 Posted by Bobby Dazzler on 5 Dec 2024 at 11:59 AM

This is welcome as long as it’s not a replay of the Caer Amon estate where the developer built half the estate, reached the point where they needed to build amenities, and then downed tools and bogged off leaving half the site a wasteland that has since been reclaimed by nature.

As for proximity to the airport; we’ve lived under the final approach path for EDI for 20 years and, sure, bbq conversation in the garden stops every 10 minutes but we sleep well, with no problems.

#4 Posted by Fake Planespotter on 5 Dec 2024 at 12:47 PM

#2 That's the decommissioned crosswinds runway, now a car park and soon to be built over itself. The actual runway is a few km to the north.

#5 Posted by Gordon on 7 Dec 2024 at 16:16 PM

Gosh the weather is so lovely and the people so beautiful and happy...what clever architects!

#6 Posted by Lovely on 7 Dec 2024 at 17:36 PM

Lego bricks on a beautiful green carpet.

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