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The Vision For West Edinburgh

10. The West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 is a strategic policy document which seeks to promote the area's sustainable economic development. Central to this is the provision of a land use planning framework to enable Edinburgh Airport to meet the significant growth forecasts set out in the White Paper "The Future of Air Transport" (December 2003) and articulated in the Edinburgh Airport Master Plan (July 2006). The Framework does not determine that growth will take place to the extent forecast; it merely ensures that if growth does take place, the disposition of land uses around the Airport will allow it to do so. It therefore supports expansion of Edinburgh Airport south of its current land holding, which will take it to at least 2020. The issue of whether the Airport ultimately requires a second main parallel runway can be left to subsequent reviews of the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 based on forecasting at that time with the land safeguarded within the Green Belt in the meantime. The Framework also seeks to balance the growth of the Airport with all the connectivity benefits for the local, regional and national economy. It provides for Edinburgh tram from Newhaven to the Airport (under construction) and for a station in the Gogar area with associated tram interchange, together with the construction of a Dalmeny Chord rail link between the Glasgow and Fife lines. Beyond that, strategic transport interventions are subject to ongoing appraisal and decisions will be made through the development plan process.

11. The Framework also provides for the relocation of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland's Royal Highland Centre to a site south of the A8 and its redevelopment as Scotland's National Showground. It also identifies land between the expanded Airport and the A8 as suitable for international business development and associated hotel and related services accommodation. This level of development will benefit from the significant global, national and regional connectivity but is not dependent on any particular level of Airport growth over the period to 2030. It is anticipated to be capable of bringing significant additional economic benefits at a Scottish level.

12. The Framework complements the development of the 15 Structure Plan Core Development Areas ² throughout City of Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and West Lothian, which the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and planning authorities continue to support in parallel.

13. Taking the strategic policy context and role of West Edinburgh as a national asset into consideration, the vision for West Edinburgh is set out below. It should be emphasised that the vision for West Edinburgh comprises strategic land use and environmental measures capable of being serviced by an integrated and interdependent package of investment in transport. If any of these elements become subject to radical change in terms of funding, programming or priority that impacts on the other elements, the Scottish Ministers may decide to review the West Edinburgh Planning Framework. Elements of the vision, set out on an Ordnance Survey base on the Vision Map, and explained in Schedule 1, are:

• specific proposals for West Edinburgh as defined, set in the context of continued support for development in the core development areas approved in the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan 2015;
• the introduction of a strategic walking and cycle network within West Edinburgh, along A8 corridor and within master plans within a green space network to provide an integrated sustainable access framework for developments;
• the delivery of a rail station in the vicinity of Gogar to improve accessibility from other parts of Scotland and the UK and reduce journey times, incorporating a high quality public transport interchange to Edinburgh Tram; and the delivery of Edinburgh Tram to Edinburgh Airport serving the Gogar transport interchange, Ingliston Park and Ride site, and development sites in West Edinburgh; with the exception of hotels justified by the recent hotel needs study, both the station and the tram should be in service before any international business development is occupied;
• to complement the public transport infrastructure and services as part of a sustainable transport package, the construction of such new road accesses to the area and adaptation of existing road accesses as the transport appraisal process may determine to improve accessibility of the Airport (including provision of contingency access during incidents elsewhere on the network), Scotland's National Showground and the International Business Gateway;
• to develop detailed alignments for any such infrastructure that will have least possible adverse effect on the environment and on specific development sites;
• complementing walking, cycling and public transport investment with the management of road capacity and parking availability and the setting of robust mode share targets for all new development;
• land allocations sufficient to support the growth of Edinburgh Airport up to 13.7 million passengers per annum by 2013 and up to 18.1 million passengers per annum by 2020, with safeguarding within the Green Belt of land north of the Airport for a possible second main parallel runway should growth continue towards 26 million passengers per annum by 2030 in accordance with the Air Transport White Paper and Government growth forecasts as reviewed periodically;
• the relocation of the Royal Highland Centre and associated infrastructure to the Scotland's National Showground site, offering opportunities for improved facilities, good public transport access and enhanced economic impact;
• a master plan for Scotland's National Showground to maximise opportunities for public transport access; and mitigating any impacts on Scheduled Ancient Monuments and listed buildings to the satisfaction of Historic Scotland and City of Edinburgh Council;
• the allocation, preparation and promotion of sites, to be known as the International Business Gateway for high quality, high value international business development subject to master plan preparation with fully integrated walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure within a green space network, and sustainable mode share targets, and subject to master plan provisions for protection and management of the Scheduled Ancient Monument at Gogar Mains Farm and the setting of the A-listed Gogar Castle to the satisfaction of Historic Scotland;
• the allocation, preparation and promotion of sites within the International Business Gateway for high quality hotel and integral conference development which is airport related or would directly serve the International Business Gateway, and other related ancillary development, e.g. health and sport clubs, child nursery facilities, restaurants, etc.;
• improvement of the overall visual, urban design, architectural, landscape, water environment, ecological and heritage value of West Edinburgh to reflect its status as a high visibility national gateway including development of design parameters in terms of height, scale, density, footprint and overall volume for built development; and
• environmental enhancement of the Gogar Burn, proposals for the future of the Gogar Burn with potential restoration and diversion schemes and provision of new or altered flood control and retention measures.

Schedule 1: New elements of the Vision for West Edinburgh

Growth of Edinburgh Airport up to 13.7 million passengers per annum by 2013 and 18.1 million passengers per annum by 2020 in accordance with the Air Transport White Paper and Government growth forecasts as periodically reviewed. The Edinburgh Airport Master Plan sets out the land use implications of meeting this demand for growth and will inform the statutory Development Plan. This Planning Framework supports the removal from the Green Belt at the earliest opportunity through the preparation of Strategic and Local Development Plans, of the Airport and land south of the existing Airport required for its growth to 2020. In the short term, this Framework supports an Alteration to the Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan to identify the existing boundary of the Airport and the proposed Airport expansion to 2020.

Until such an alteration to the development plan is approved, proposals for Airport expansion should be treated as departures from the development plan and be conditional on the achievement of robust sustainable mode share targets for surface transport. To help achieve this, this Framework considers that the airport operator's permitted development rights for airport parking should be removed to give greater control over surface access solutions and to encourage a managed, holistic approach to travel to and from the Airport. The City of Edinburgh Council will therefore promote an Article 4 Direction to remove the permitted development rights enjoyed by BAA in respect of car parking provision at Edinburgh Airport.

Within the Airport land, high quality hotel development which may include integral conference and meeting facilities will be permitted, subject to airport operational requirements, satisfactory road access and connection to walking, cycling and public transport networks.

Land north of the existing Airport shown in the Edinburgh Airport Master Plan for expansion to accommodate a second main parallel runway will be safeguarded for that purpose but retained in the Green Belt until air passenger forecasts demonstrate a need for that runway to be developed.

Edinburgh Airport

Airport growth beyond 2013 will require to take place on part of the land currently owned by the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland ( RHASS). By 2020, 34 hectares will be required by the Airport, and potentially a further 51 hectares by 2030. This is preventing ongoing investment in the Royal Highland Centre's current site and requires them to relocate by 2013. A site on the opposite side of the A8 has been proven through a feasibility study to be able to accommodate a new national showground and provide scope for the relocation, modernisation, expansion, and enhanced economic impact of the facilities and activities currently located in the Royal Highland Centre and managed by the RHASS. The extent and configuration of development will be guided by a master plan, to be a material input to any planning application by RHASS. The master plan will need to ensure that noise and other quality of life impacts associated with proximity to Ratho Station are appropriately mitigated. On the basis of such a master plan the RHASS could submit a planning application to City of Edinburgh Council. This Planning Framework supports the removal from the Green Belt through the preparation of Strategic and Local Development Plans at the earliest opportunity of such land within the area shown on the Vision Map as is proposed within an agreed master plan for permanent development as Scotland's National Showground for the purposes above. Other land that may only be required for temporary overflow parking for peak events or for other activities not constituting development will remain as Green Belt. Strategic landscape improvements will be required as part of the relocation exercise to enhance the setting of the site. In the short term this Framework supports an Alteration to the Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan to identify the boundaries of the relocated showground uses.

The land currently in the ownership of the RHASS and not identified for Airport expansion is largely brown field, is capable of good public transport accessibility enabling a significant modal shift in favour of public transport, and, if not required for the purposes of an improved National Showground, will form part of the International Business Gateway.

Royal Highland Centre

This comprises a strategic reserve of land dedicated to international business development. For this purpose "international business development" means development of global, European or UK headquarters or accommodation supporting high-value corporate functions for internationally recognised organisations operating in more than one country and with 25% or more of their output produced outside their country of origin. Planning permission will only be granted where applicants can demonstrate that the investment decision of the intended occupier is between the site and locations outwith Scotland.

As well as meeting the occupancy criteria above, the development will require to be of high quality in design and specification, campus style and single user.

Any proposed occupier will require to provide a substantial number of additional new jobs rather than displacing employment from established businesses elsewhere in Scotland.

All development of the International Business Gateway will be subject to satisfactory arrangements for road access and connection to walking, cycling and public transport networks being put in place. With the exception of hotels justified by the recent hotel needs study, all development of the International Business Gateway will be subject to the prior provision of tram to the Airport and the new rail station connected to the tram in the vicinity of Gogar.

A legal agreement will be put in place to secure both the occupational and development criteria noted above over the long term (or at least 10 years).

The definition is also intended to provide scope for Airport or International Business Gateway related hotel and conference facilities, as well as an element of other high quality ancillary developments (e.g. child nursery facilities, restaurants, health and sports clubs, etc.) intended to service the occupants and
visitors to the International Business Gateway. Such ancillary development will only be permitted where, by reason of its scale and nature, it is clear that it will not attract substantial numbers from outside the site.

International
Business Gateway

This Planning Framework supports the removal of the site from the Green Belt through the preparation of Strategic and Local Development Plans at the earliest opportunity for the purposes above. It also supports an alteration to the Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan (2006) to promote necessary land preparation, including advance planting, landscaping and infrastructure works. Planning applications will be guided by a Strategic Design Framework (adopted as supplementary planning guidance) and a master plan. The master plan will cover matters including layout, access, public transport mode share targets, urban design, landscaping, and protection of heritage features. The Scottish Ministers are also minded to make a Direction requiring any proposal in the master plan area which the City of Edinburgh Council resolve to approve to be referred to them, where the proposal is put forward prior to agreement of the master plan, or which is not in accordance with the master plan.

Safeguarding for, and implementation of, a scheme of improvement components to alleviate flood risk and improve water quality, including the possibility of a burn diversion east of Edinburgh Airport. This would facilitate expansion of the Airport and development of the International Business Gateway.

The Gogar Burn

Light and heavy rail links with transport interchange

The introduction of Edinburgh tram in accordance with the proposals considered and endorsed by the Scottish Parliament, and their integration with a rail station in the vicinity of Gogar.

Vision Map

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