City Plan 2030: we’re leaving a positive legacy - Neil Gardiner

We have taken forward a robust clear strategy for new development in Edinburgh – City Plan 2030.

Cllr Neil Gardiner is planning convener at Edinburgh City Council

Our next local development plan addresses affordable housing needs, sustainability, jobs, and infrastructure. This is the result of having detailed discussions, and input from lots of you; political groups and other interested parties; over the last couple of years.

This plan meets the needs of our Capital’s growing population and at the same time it will help us achieve Edinburgh’s Net Zero 2030 ambition.

We’re very clear that the way Edinburgh develops needs to be in-keeping with our stunning World Heritage city and also acknowledge the wonderful landscape setting of our capital, from the Pentland Hills to the Forth, abundant nature and parkland all around and countryside near at hand.

We are a compact city, meaning in many neighbourhoods, facilities are nearby. Going forwards, we need to ensure we have a well-connected city, with opportunities for all our communities and citizens with well-paying jobs, quality open spaces, public transport, active travel provision: a city where we can live healthy lives.

This Plan provides answers to all the above, with a huge focus on tackling the climate crisis and building many more affordable homes. It will ensure development can happen where we have existing infrastructure rather than forever building out into our precious countryside.

City Plan 2030 utilises land already designated for development next to the tram route to the airport in the west, creating a sustainable new community with schools, jobs, and homes. Within the urban area we can better connect existing communities by redeveloping underutilised brownfield land, placing jobs, homes, services, and amenity spaces next to each other. Through mixes of uses it makes a sustainable neighbourhood far greater than the sum of its parts. These policies will help us to meet 21 st Century challenges, building on the fantastic legacy which makes Scotland’s capital a special place.

We are currently in the final leg of this important journey, setting out this bold sustainable direction for the city. We’re analysing 800 responses we received during the recent ‘representations’ stage and once we’ve fully considered all of the responses, the Plan will come back to a future Planning Committee later this year. It’ll then be reviewed by the government before being finally adopted by us for a City.

Scotland-wide, the Scottish Government recently published its Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) for consultation. I’m delighted to see that there is broad alignment between NPF4 and City Plan 2030, recognising the importance of sustainable infrastructure, and building mixed-use environmentally friendly communities.

We’ve worked hard to make sure our plan sets out the best options for people in Edinburgh where everyone can share in the city’s success. Looking ahead I’m confident that with both plans taken forward, nationally and locally, we’ll have strong and comprehensive policies with a shared vision to deliver sustainable development for our capital in the next decade and beyond, leaving a positive legacy for future generations to come.

Cllr Neil Gardiner is planning convener at Edinburgh City Council