Creation of a sustainable 20 minute neighbourhood
One of the most exciting urban expansions in Europe
West Town Edinburgh Limited, the development consortium headed by Drum Property Group which owns more than 200-acres of prime development land to the west of Edinburgh, submitted a major planning application to the City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) in January 2024, unveiling ambitious proposals for West Town, a new homes-led ‘twenty-minute’ neighbourhood set to transform Scotland’s capital.
The 205-acre West Town site - located between Ingliston Park and Ride and the Gogar Roundabout at the western gateway of Edinburgh - is regarded as one of the most strategically important large development areas in the UK. The £2-billion project is set to become the biggest, single homes-led development in Edinburgh in modern times, significantly addressing the city’s well publicised ‘housing emergency’ whilst providing an outstanding quality of life in a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community.
Development proposals follow guidelines set out by CEC’s City Plan 2030 which identifies the area as having the potential to become a vibrant, high-density city extension with a capacity for 7,000 homes - along with the necessary employment, commercial, leisure and community facilities required for a 20-minute neighbourhood.
Proposed facilities include schools, medical provision, civic and community space as well as bars, restaurants, cafes, retail and other commercial spaces. There are plans for 27 acres of accessible green space – including a large 5.5-acre central park, several ‘pocket’ parks and a ‘wildlife’ corridor, criss-crossed by a network of cycle, running and walking tracks. The Edinburgh Tram route runs directly through the site and a new tram stop will be created to ensure the whole development has access to quick and efficient public transport.
The proposals for West Town are consistent with the West Edinburgh Placemaking Framework, approved by CEC in December 2023 and align with the ambitions of the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4, which was approved in February 2023.
This is a once-in-a generation opportunity for Drum to deliver another significant development site that has the potential to play a fundamental role in Scotland’s economic recovery and ongoing development for decades to come.
www.west-town-edinburgh.com
