1500 homes, hotel, and shops plan for Granton

The Edinburgh Marina development will also boast new docks for 400 boats, a multi-storey car park and an indoor market, if plans are green lit.

The masterplan – which was revealed at a consultation meeting – will provide space for 30,000 square metres of retail, leisure and business.

Developers Granton Central Developments (GCD) insist the new project will be close to the tramline extension proposed for Granton and Leith – as well as being just two-and-a-half miles from the city centre. The plans mark a major downsizing earlier blueprints in 2003 to build 3400 apartments and houses.

Since then, the development has been blighted by alterations with GCD asking to amend planning permission for the project to around 1700 houses when the company took over the site last year. Community leaders have warned the proposals could bring an influx of cars to an area already struggling with traffic.

Dave Macnab, secretary of the Granton and District Community Council, said residents had grown cynical after years of false starts with the project. He added: “This has been promised before and we have heard lots of things about what is going to happen, but there is a great deal of cynicism here in terms of what that means for jobs and traffic.

“There doesn’t seem to be a joined-up approach to all these areas.

“What does it actually mean if there is a big hotel there? What does it mean to build all this housing?

“We have been concerned for some time with the lack of ongoing dialogue with people in the area. But the fact that the number of houses is not going to be as high is a positive thing.

“We are not naysayers just for the sake of it.

“Our concern has always been that they have not thought about the infrastructure. If you are going to build a hotel and a car park, these cars have to go somewhere.”

Plans for the new complex are set to be lodged with council chiefs early next year. Malcolm Chisholm, MSP for Edinburgh North and Leith, said the development was missing key provisions for green space and cyclists.

He said: “A lot of it looks uncontroversial, but it seems to be lacking in green space and it’s probably a bit car- obsessed.

“For all the developments along the waterfront, there are very big concerns about the traffic. I would certainly be concerned, both in terms of congestion of the local roads and other transport issues. And there needs to be more provision for cyclists.

“A lot of it is not so concerning, but I will listen to what people are saying.”

GCD declined to comment.