Derelict Midlothian site could be transformed into 272-container storage facility

A storage firm is bidding to place 272 separate containers on land behind a motor home site at Straiton.

Edinburgh Self Storage, which gives its current address as Stirling, has applied for permission to put the self-storage containers on the site alongside an associated reception kiosk, car parking, and landscaping.

The storage site lies on either side of Burndene Drive, behind Straiton Mobile Homes Park in Midlothian. The application describes the proposed land as a "previously disturbed and derelict brownfield parcel".

In a biodiversity statement to Midlothian Council planners, the applicants said the site has "negligible ecological value with no vegetation cover and limited capacity to support biodiversity".

The firm added that its plans will introduce a new landscape strategy aimed at improving the area.

The statement read: “At ground level, the introduction of a species-rich wildflower meadow mix, including a high proportion of fine grasses and broadleaf forbs, will provide seasonal nectar and pollen resources essential for pollinators and invertebrates.

“Collectively, these measures transform the site from a barren, low-value condition into a layered landscape, delivering a clear and sustained uplift in biodiversity through the provision of varied habitats and the use of locally appropriate native species.”

Plans for the site have been lodged on the council’s planning portal for public viewing and comments.