A COUNCIL has announced plans to “transform” an area into a new environmentally-friendly neighbourhood.
City of Edinburgh Council published the draft Seafield masterplan on Monday, which hopes to connect the area – situated on the coastline – to surrounding communities in Leith, Portobello and Craigentinny.
Currently, the area is primarily made up of car showrooms, trades, light industry, as well as Lothian Buses’ marine depot and a council household waste recycling centre.
The plans include a new primary school, a GP surgery, a waterfront park and green spaces, as well as proposals for higher density flats to tackle the capital’s housing crisis.
The council’s planning convener, councillor James Dalgleish, said the proposals aimed to have 35% of homes on the site built as affordable, adding that it could potentially deliver as many as 2700 new homes.
Dalgleish added: “Our bold vision to transform this area would open up the Seafield section of Edinburgh’s coastline, creating an attractive and seamless promenade linking to the waterfront communities that already exist on either side.”
In addition to building new facilities, the council’s proposals also include improved public transport and active travel routes, as well as the provision of a heat network which would help to lower energy bills.
As the area is coastal, the council added that it was working with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency to mitigate against any future flood risk.
The proposals are set to be considered by the council’s planning committee next week.
Should they be approved, residents, businesses and other organisations interested in the area will be asked to take part in a consultation.
