Plans approved to add four new retail units at Edinburgh shopping centre Westside Centre in Wester Hailes
Plans have been approved to add four new retail units at Edinburgh shopping centre Westside Centre in Wester Hailes.
Plans submitted by owners U&S Investments Ltd in February for the reconfiguration of existing retail units, new shopfronts and associated works, at the shopping centre formerly known as Westside Plaza, were approved by the council’s planning department on June 4.
The site is accessed from Murrayburn Gate and is currently used as a service area for the commercial units. The alterations include painting the existing shopfront concrete facade black, creating a glazed shopfront, the addition of metal canopy to the shop front, car parking within existing service area and new fencing around the existing bin enclosure and sub-station.
Approving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposed addition of shop units is appropriate in this location helping to support vitality of the wider shopping area. The car park is of an appropriate design and layout.
“The proposed appearance of the shop units would appear in-keeping with the design of the existing shop units. The proposed black facade, metal canopy and glazing would provide a degree of visual interest to this plain elevation that would have a positive visual impact on the surrounding area.
“The proposed timber fence to enclose the bin storage and substation is modest in scale and design. It would screen the service area from public view, with no harm to visual amenity.
“In view of the above, the proposal is of an appropriate design and would have no adverse impact on the character and appearance of the shopping centre or surrounding area.”
Two representations were received on the council’s planning portal in support of the application, highlighting the community benefit from new shops and new job opportunities.
Local resident Margaret Stewart said: “We need shops that we need like butcher’s, pet shop, good places to shop, not cheap tat. It was a very good centre years ago, I’ve been in Wester Hailes for 30 years and I want to see good things for the community to bring the community together.”
While, follow local resident James Thomson said: “I believe this could be good not only for the centre by breathing a little life back into the place, potentially attracting more businesses back, but also the community could benefit from this, as with new shops comes new job opportunities and the possibility of making the centre the bustling hub that it once was for the local community.”
There was one general representation received, which raised concerns about policing of new and existing parking regulations.
Local man John Michael Grant said: “My question is, if this will cease to be a service yard and if there will be any policing of the car parking spaces? Currently there appears to be no policing of the parking regulations in any part of the centre’s car parks, with anybody using disabled spaces and unrestricted parking on the access road to the other service yard.
“With the new parking restrictions on the car park, people wishing to park all day are now using any unrestricted parking available on the surrounding roads, causing damage to verges and restricting access in some cases.”
The Westside Centre owners now have three years to begin work on adding the four new retail units to the Wester Hailes shopping centre.