Edinburgh planning: Cammo developers' contribution to new school places is halved

Edinburgh Council approved planning permission for Cammo Estates Ltd. to demolish an existing villa and convert it into eight town houses on Cammo Road in November.

That planning permission was subject to its reaching a legal agreement with the council to pay £281,792 towards construction of new schools in the area, as set out by the city’s Local Development Plan (LDP).

The villa to be demolished to make way for the new development | LDR

However, as this agreement had not been reached by the time Edinburgh’s City Plan 2030 came into effect, which replaced the LDP, the development’s contributions for education had to be recalculated.

And under the City Deal, the development is required to pay just £139,544 towards education, and £10,433 towards transport infrastructure.

Officers have said that the development is in compliance with the City Plan 2030, as it was with the prior Local Development Plan.

They have recommended that councillors approve the new planning permission application.

The education funds will go towards the construction of 556 additional secondary school places in the area, according to a draft council document.

New developments across the west of Edinburgh will have funding go towards those same secondary school places.

The draft council document contains guidelines on how developers have to fund contributions towards various improvements to council services, including education and transport.

It is set to be finalised in the near future, and officially be made part of Edinburgh’s City Plan 2030.

The planning permission application will be considered at a meeting of the Development Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday, which you can view here.