Edinburgh riverside overhaul approved with replacement bridge and new amphitheatre seating at Burdiehouse Burn
Riverside changes approved in Burdiehouse
The transformation of an Edinburgh riverside has been approved by council planners, with the plans including a replacement bridge and new amphitheatre seating.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s plans for Burdiehouse Burn were approved by the Development Management Sub-Committee earlier this month, and are part of the wider ‘Restore the Burn’ project.
This approved application includes re-meandering of the river channel along with associated channel re-profiling and floodplain re-connection.
Proposals for the surrounding landscape include diversification of existing habitats, setting the existing path back away from the burn, replacement of the existing bridge, and new amphitheatre seating on the north bank.
The amphitheatre will be created from a series of textured natural stone seating steps set into the hillside. A more formal stage is proposed to the base of the steps, created from stone setts.
In the planning documents, the applicant said: “An amphitheatre here would create a unique setting along the restored and enhanced river corridor, and would aim to provide the local community with a gathering and resting place that could also be used for local educational and performative purposes.”
The new bridge will span over the widened floodplain to the stepped path leading to the Bothy. Two steps will be removed to create a level crossing from the resting area across the bridge. Bank slopes will be gentle to allow for planting.
The applicant added: “Bridges over the burn will be a significant element of the restoration. They serve a practical purpose and can also symbolize connectivity and resilience.
“There is currently no consistency in the aesthetics of the existing bridges over the Burdiehouse Burn. They vary in size, materiality, design, and scale. Therefore, there is an opportunity to install a suite of well-designed, carefully considered crossings that help form an identity for the Burdiehouse Burn.”
And commenting on the new river alignment, the applicant said: “The proposal will open up the water’s edge, shallowing the banks and making access to the water safer and more accessible, promoting the recreational use of the water.”
Recommending the plans for approval, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposals will enhance biodiversity and provide new habitats including trees and woodland.
“Whilst some soil disruption is inevitable, this is outweighed by the longer term improvement in soil quality. The proposal reconfigures this open space area in a way that improves the green blue network, reduces flooding as it allows more water storage in the meandering burn and improves the quality of the area.
“Active travel routes are upgraded and a replacement bridge crossing will improve accessibility for all. Identified material considerations have been assessed and do not raise issues which outweigh the conclusion in relation to the Development Plan. The proposal is acceptable.”
As part of the approval, the applicant has been encouraged to consider a greater diversity of native tree species and incorporate public art into these proposals.
The application received two neutral comments on the council’s online planning portal, with the applicant now having three years to begin work, with McLaren Plant expected to carry out the project.
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