Edinburgh Council look set to reject a controversial 500-home and retail development on greenbelt land.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s development committee will meet next week to make a final decision but planning officers have recommended that the application be rejected.
The development at greenbelt land near Craigs Road, at the Cammo Estate, wanted to create 500 new build homes, with 50 per cent of them being affordable options.
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However, there were over 150 objections on the planning application as the local community rejected the intrusion into the Edinburgh countryside.
The feared losing the nearby Cammo Estate, which is a local nature reserve, and the associated wildlife that roams around the greenbelt.
The council’s development committee also highlighted that the proposal would harm the setting of the B-listed Cammo Tower, that used to supply water to the Cammo Estate.
The Cammo Estate was built in 1693 for John Menzies, and the house is thought to be the inspiration for House of Shaws in Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novel Kidnapped.
The developers acknowledged that the site is “adjacent to the locally sensitive landscape of Cammo” and explined they would be making mitigation efforts to ensure this would be to a minimum.
The Design and Access Statement was prepared by Yeoman McAllister Architects on behalf of West Craigs Ltd and Dunedin Canmore Housing Association and concluded that they had responded to all queries about the site.
They said: “The Landscape Framework and the masterplan demonstrate a clear understanding of the unique characteristics of the site; they preserve and enhance historical views, retain elements of stone dyke walling and existing trees where possible, embrace constraints and provide appropriate scale and density throughout.
“This concludes with a unique masterplan solution that has considered and responded to all of the key aspects of the site to provide an integrated landscape and SUDS network and a high quality public realm providing a landscaped setting for new private housing and affordable housing, easy access to education, retail and employment opportunities and encourages a healthy lifestyle and the use of sustainable modes of travel and public transport.”
But ultimately, Edinburgh Council’s planning officers have not been satisfied about the intrusion into the city’s green belt and are recommending it is rejected.
The Council’s development committee will make a final decision on the application on Wednesday March 2.
