Plans for nearly 350 South Queensferry new builds granted

The houses will be built, subject to a legal agreement, on land off Kirkliston Road to the south of South Queensferry.

The development will be a mix of two bedroom apartments, as well as two, three, four and five bedroom homes.

Developers Taylor Wimpey said there will be 24 different house and apartment types for the 341 units including a mixture of detached, semi-detached, terraced and flatted units proposed – 85 of which will be affordable homes.

The roofs of all homes will be fitted with Photovoltaic panels to contribute to Scotland’s carbon reduction plan.

This will allow homeowners to generate some of their own electricity for use in their home.

The development will include footpaths and cycle routes that connect to South Queensferry itself, and there will be a provision of 25 per cent affordable homes.

But local residents objected to the plans with over 100 people lodging their opposition.

Main concerns raised related to insufficient infrastructure, poor consideration of under-pressure local services and the loss of green-belt land within the South Scotstoun area.

One neighbour commented: “We are disappointed that we again are losing open land and woodland in and around our locality,

and therefore we would like to lodge an objection to the proposed plans.”

Another residents added: “The infrastructure in this area is not suitable for any more housing. There is not enough parking at the station, the bus service is not great and the new school will never cope with all the new families who will move into the area. Queensferry used to be called a ‘village’ and is now turning into a huge suburb of Edinburgh.”

MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton said: “Roads infrastructure both existing and planned are inadequate to this scale of development. Since the opening of the Queensferry Crossing, we have seen unsustainable volumes of traffic leaving the eastern communities of Queensferry along the B924 through Dalmeny. Queensferry medical practice is struggling to cope with demand and has recently consulted on closing its list to new patients from Kirkliston. The additional influx of patients from this development could be unsustainable. There will also be a significant loss of natural habitat, and character to the area.”

Taylor Wimpey East Scotland have also pledged to pump £7 million towards education, health and local transport infrastructure.

Taylor Wimpey’s Pauline Mills said: “Ultimately the decision will allow us to bring forward a development that offers buyers a great choice of new homes, and it also marks our commitment, investment and strong track record of delivering excellent quality developments of family homes across the local area.”