Consultant team appointed to transform Wester Hailes community vision into regeneration masterplan

A multi-disciplinary consultant team led by Turner & Townsend has been appointed by the City of Edinburgh Council to work with the Wester Hailes community to translate their vision into a master plan for the area.Turner & Townsend will act as project managers alongside partners Stallan Brand (architects, lead designer and community engagement), Atelier 10 (building services and sustainability), OOBE (landscape architects) and Goodson Associates (engineering and transportation).Setting out a comprehensive, phased approach for the next 10 to 15 years, the Wester Hailes masterplan will build on community aspirations as set out in the Local Place Plan as well as a number of early action projects that are already under way. These include improvements to existing Council homes and estates, delivery of new-build affordable homes at Dumbryden Gardens, early design work for the replacement of the high school, as well as improvements to Westside Plaza.The plan will seek to maximise distinctive characteristics of the area including its canal-side location, existing assets, opportunities for wider economic and social benefits and the role of key partners and the local community.Working with the council and the community, the masterplan team will look at opportunities to implement improvements to existing transport and active travel infrastructure, new housing-led developments and adapting public sector delivery models, all firmly rooted in the council’s new 20 Minute Neighbourhood model.Wester Hailes is also one of the first communities in Scotland to start to develop its own Local Place Plan following their introduction within the Planning (Scotland) Act in 2019.