The wider general Seafield site, of which this forms part, is allocated for residential development in City of Edinburgh Council’s Choices for City Plan 2030. This the first stage in the development of the Local Development Plan, which guides future development in the city.

A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN), which signals the intent to submit a planning application following consultation has now been submitted by Manse (Seafield) LLP to City of Edinburgh Council.

A variety of reasons including the issue of long leases in place with current tenants and the existing business plans of landowners mean not all sites can come forward simultaneously, therefore, it will be over ten years before some areas of Seafield could be developed.

However, it is hoped that the delivery of this first phase will instil investor confidence that the whole area can ultimately be built out.

The known challenges in building out some of the larger Masterplan sites around the city, even when the market is positive, also demonstrates why landowner buy-in to kick-start this process is essential. This will inspire confidence that not only this site, but that the wider Seafield area is deliverable, and is especially important as when it comes to economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The submission of the PAN will allow the public to engage in the process and assist with the sounding board discussions/debates that are taking place involving local stakeholders. A digital consultation event will take place on Thursday 28th January from 3pm-7pm and can be accessed at www.seafieldroad.scot.

In addition, a PAN submission will deliver detailed input from council officers (including highways, flood, landscape, environmental, education) and other parties such as Scottish Water and SEPA as site designs cannot be meaningfully progressed without knowing the site’s key technical constraints and opportunities. Manse have also commissioned research work on transport, ground conditions and drainage infrastructure both locally and for the wider area.

This will assist in proactively informing the layout, land uses and overall design and ensures the Masterplan Principles for the whole Seafield area are developed with sound underlying technical information.

Manse will work with City of Edinburgh Council, Craigentinny and Meadowbank Community Council as well as other stakeholders, to ensure the delivery of this new, exciting community quarter in line with the aspirations of the Local Development Plan.

Commenting on this, Colin MacPherson from Manse said: “We are delighted to be bringing forward these exciting proposals for Seafield, which will serve to demonstrate that not only this site, but development of the wider area is achievable.

“As we have seen with major Masterplan sites across the city, building out an area with the complexity of the whole Seafield will take some time. Our proposals for this first phase will hopefully serve to kick-start that process and instil investor confidence in its deliverability.

“We look forward to continuing to engage with local stakeholders and the community as a whole as we progress this process.”