First phase of controversial Garden District scheme in Edinburgh gets go-ahead from Scottish Government

1,350 new homes near Gogarburn

Murray Estates says the project represents a £450 million investment

CONTROVERSIAL plans by Murray Estates for more than 1300 homes near Gogarburn have been given the go-ahead by Scottish Government ministers.

The Redheughs Village development is the first phase of the proposed Garden District development which could eventually see up to 6000 homes built in the area.

The approval comes more than three years after the planning application was called in by the government.

Murray Estates described the land as one of the most strategically important development sites in the UK and said the plans represented a £450 million investment in the Scottish economy.

But there are concerns in the area about the impact of such a large development on the surrounding roads and other local infrastructure.

Murray Estates said the development will include 1,350 homes of various types, 330 of which will be affordable, as well as local road improvements, a new primary school, neighbourhood centre, convenience retailing and a 40-acre park for the community.

Ministers approved the proposal following the reporter’s recommendation. They concluded that the development is sustainable, would contribute significantly to housing land supply, and is located in close proximity to public transport links.

Liberal Democrat councillor Kevin Lang, who represents the area, said the site was in the green belt and was not designated for housing in the 2030 City Plan which the council had recently finished consulting on.

“This drives a coach and horses through the very planning document that has been consulted on for the past three months,” he said. “Now we are going to have a huge development that’s not even considered in that document.

“This decision has come on the back of other major housing developments which have been approved at places like Cammo or are already in the offing at Maybury and the new Crosswinds development at the airport. It just adds to the huge pressure that is building up on the whole of west Edinburgh.

“This will be nearly 1500 homes right next to the Gogar roundabout which is one of the busiest and most congested parts of the whole city.”

He said details of the precise number of homes, the layout of the streets and the financial contribution by the developers towards new infrastructure would all have to be agreed.

But he said: “The principle of a big development on this site has now been agreed by the Scottish Government and that can’t be overturned.”

David D. Murray, managing director of Murray Capital Group, parent company of Murray Estates, said he was delighted by the Scottish Government’s decision.

He said the country’s entire focus was currently, quite rightly, on tackling the health and economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, as the health emergency subsides, the scale of the economic one will become clearer and attention turns to how we address that. Shovel-ready projects like the first phase of the Garden District development, which represents a £450 million investment in the Scottish economy, will be key to supporting the longer-term economic and societal recovery. The decision is perfectly timed in that regard.”

Jestyn Davies, managing director of Murray Estates, added: “We are delighted to be delivering much needed and high quality housing for Edinburgh and will begin work on the site infrastructure once we have secured detailed planning and it is safe to do so.”