Green light for first phase of £500m Edinburgh ‘urban quarter’

Work on plans to transform around 43 acres of land south of Edinburgh Park into a £500 million ‘urban quarter’ is set to start within weeks after councillors approved the first phase of the project.Property developer Parabola has sought permission for seven blocks providing “grade A office accommodation” and two multi-storey car parks.The overall development is set to deliver office space for 8,000 jobs and 1,800 homes including sale, rent and affordable. A ‘civic square’, 150-seat conference and events facility, bar-restaurant, leisure and medical centre, micro-brewery and specially commissioned works of art would also be created.Planners recommended the application for approval, but transport officers raised concerns over the width of pedestrian crossings at junctions to the west and east of the site. The approval comes 20 years after the original matersplan was submitted for the project.Councillors welcomed the site’s public transport links, including two train stations, two tram stations and good bus links. The site will link to dedicated cycle and pedestrian routes as well as provide 930 cycle spaces.Parabola said the first phase of the plans is estimated to create around 5500 jobs.