« Previous | Contents | Next »
Listen
Background Issues, Pressures and Constraints
24. The West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 is informed by a number of other work streams. A number of technical issues arising are outlined below, and have been reconciled in this update of the West Edinburgh Planning Framework.
Supporting documents 2 are available online at www.scotland.gov/planning.
Economic and Property Market Update
25. The economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians is expected to generate demand for around 550,000 sq.m. of new additional floorspace for business (class 4) uses through to 2015. Outstanding planning permissions at Edinburgh Park and Newbridge alone have a capacity of approximately 375,000 sq.m. Total office development potential in Edinburgh as a whole is estimated at approximately 1,228,000 sq.m., including locations such as the City Centre, Waterfront and Leith. There is additional potential from relocation, redevelopment and conversion. These are therefore regarded as having potential to provide more than an adequate supply of land for identified demand for economic development in Edinburgh and the Lothians to 2015 at least. There will be issues over its location, quality and commercial viability but even after 2015, a recent study of economic and property market issues in West Edinburgh confirms that there is no need to identify sites on Green Belt land in West Edinburgh to meet forecast demand for general Class 4 business use.
26. It therefore appears that any significant release of green belt land for general Class 4 development in West Edinburgh would be at the expense of Structure Plan core development areas and would largely displace jobs from elsewhere. This would result in partially developed areas of already allocated land which are unable to reach critical mass for the provision of high quality public transport or the delivery of wider development plan strategy or policy objectives such as urban regeneration. This suggests that the economic development opportunity that exists in the area should be dedicated to niche markets defined by policy.
27. The West Edinburgh Planning Framework suggested that internationally competitive development for corporate headquarters could be a niche market for West Edinburgh. The market review concludes that European headquarters and shared service centres can be mobile in an international sense, although global headquarters are not internationally mobile; West Edinburgh could be competitive in this market but not unique; but Scottish Development International and Scottish Enterprise interest in the concept in West Edinburgh could raise its profile. Given the reserve of current Green Belt land around the Airport with excellent European and Scottish connectivity, West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 can provide the policy context to capitalise on this opportunity, reallocate land for international business development, and provide the context for public and private sector partners putting in the necessary advance infrastructure to produce an effective land supply for marketing.
BAA Edinburgh Airport Master Plan
28. Edinburgh Airport is experiencing rapid year on year passenger growth. Much of this is fuelled by low cost operators, and current forecasting suggests that increased fuel costs and environmental measures such as extension of carbon emissions trading to the aviation sector will continue to be offset by disposable income and propensity to fly. The 2003 White Paper suggests that passenger numbers could grow from 7 million per annum in 2004 to between 19 million and 26 million by 2030. Such passenger figures would support more direct flights to a greater range of destinations than exists at present and increase both competitive business links and inbound tourist traffic.
29. In line with the Air Transport White Paper policy, Edinburgh Airport Master Plan (July 2006) details how the Airport will develop between now and 2030. The Master Plan proposes expansion of terminal, aircraft stance and taxiway provision to the south west of the current terminal. This requires land occupied by the 120 hectare Royal Highland Centre. Between 2013 and 2020 the Airport will require 34 hectares, with a further 51 hectares required between 2020 and 2030. The White Paper indicated that by 2013 the Royal Highland Centre would require to be relocated, as it could not remain a viable entity on that part of its present site not required by Edinburgh Airport Limited. At some point after 2020, it is possible that a second main parallel runway will need to be built north of the current main runway, requiring 280 hectares of land. From 2020 until the second main runway is operational, the existing crosswind runway will be increasingly used for take-offs, but once the second main runway is opened, the crosswind runway will be closed to airborne traffic. The 2003 White Paper proposed that the south-east section of it could then be surplus to airport operational purposes, though the Edinburgh Airport Master Plan retains the land to enable aircraft to manoeuvre to maintenance hangars, the south east terminal remote stands, and the cargo area.
30. As the Airport grows from 9.0 million passengers per annum at November 2007 to up to 26 million passengers in 2030, the tram and rail links are forecast to increase the public transport share of surface access to the Airport from 24% at end June 2007 with bus to between 36% and 44% in 2021. While that is a significant contribution to sustainable transport access, it still means that car access will grow on a person trip basis by around 100% by 2030. One of the issues to be addressed by the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 is therefore how to plan for double the number of cars seeking to access the airport, given the congestion on the current road network.
31. The Edinburgh Airport Master Plan provides an indication of the likely development required to accommodate the growth anticipated by the White Paper. This growth is dependent on continuing trends in demand for air travel, which are themselves influenced by a number of potentially volatile factors. Edinburgh Airport currently enjoys the benefit of permitted development rights for operational development within its operational land, subject to prior notification to City of Edinburgh Council. Exceptions to these rights include new or extended runways and any development requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment.
32. The Edinburgh Airport Master Plan envisages expansion beyond the current land ownership, and at that point a full planning application will be required for operational airport use of the proposed expanded area. The area for which any planning permission is granted would also enjoy permitted development rights unless these were withdrawn by the Scottish Ministers or by City of Edinburgh Council as part of the process of granting consent for the expansion. That may be done to ensure high standards of development, to control car parking or other access arrangements, or for other justified planning purposes.
33. Since the estimates of air passenger numbers at Edinburgh Airport were produced for the Air Transport White Paper in 2003, the Scottish Executive has published its Sustainable Development Strategy Choosing Our Future, and has revised its Climate Change Programme. On 21 June 2007, the Cabinet Secretary for Sustainable Economic Growth, John Swinney, MSP, set out a target to reduce emissions by 3% per annum, 80% by 2050. Underlying these targets is the need to create increasing economic prosperity within sustainable environmental limits. A key ambition is to reduce the levels of greenhouse gas emissions. Air travel contributes a significant amount of total emissions and its contribution is increasing at a fast rate. It will therefore be appropriate to take account of sustainable development and climate change policies when air passenger forecasts at Edinburgh and other Scottish airports are next calculated. If appropriate, that may lead in turn to the need to review the West Edinburgh Planning Framework to reflect any changes in the air passenger forecasts.
Royal Highland Centre Relocation
34. A site search exercise was undertaken in the areas of City of Edinburgh Council and West Lothian Council, informed by criteria from the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland. This exercise identified and ranked potential sites and the top ranked site proved acceptable in principle for a further more detailed feasibility study to be undertaken.
35. The detailed feasibility study has demonstrated that the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland can be accommodated on land to the south of the A8 on a modernised like for like basis. The study has further demonstrated that the land provides sufficient space to create a more efficient operation of services for the Society and provide room for their enhancement.
36. An issue with the site however is its relationship to possible options for a link road from the M8 motorway east of Claylands to Edinburgh Airport. There are a range of options for such a link, but all of the options save for an easternmost link would have serious implications for the integrity of the site and its access arrangements.
37. Access to the new National Showground site is proposed from the south side of the Airport dumbbell junction in the east; from a new roundabout in the vicinity of Hallyards Road junction with the A8 in the west (this roundabout will also access any new western link road to the Airport); and for lorry and animal float servicing and for peak event temporary car parking from a southerly access off Freelands Road. This latter is problematic due to a rail underbridge with limited width and visibility close to the access to the car parking and servicing areas. Arrangements for temporary parking of vehicles during the Royal Highland Show will require further investigation and discussion with the City of Edinburgh Council.
Transport Appraisal and Land Use Transport Modelling
38. A Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance ( STAG) appraisal is being undertaken of a range of transport options intended to respond to the issues raised by economic development of the West Edinburgh area and meet the objectives set to retain accessibility within desirable environmental limits. This work will take account of the Forth Replacement Crossing decision, the decision on serving the Airport via a new station at Gogar and the tram link, and other recent work. As a result transport infrastructure will not be set out in the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 as firm commitments. Decisions on transport infrastructure will flow from the STAG appraisal and be set within the process for City of Edinburgh Council to bring forward an alteration to the Rural West Edinburgh Local Plan later this year.
Sustainable Development Framework for the Gogar Burn Catchment
39. The Gogar Burn Partnership was initiated by SEPA with the aim of developing strategic environmental solutions to the Gogar Burn on a catchment basis to improve and enhance the water environment in terms of flood risk, water quality and ecology. A Sustainable Development Framework was commissioned by the Group to identify environmental solutions for the lower catchment (north of the Union Canal) that will also allow for the continuing development of the area. The Gogar Burn Partnership Group project identified 10 improvement components in the Gogar Burn water catchment, and assessed these with the objective of creating a Sustainable Development Framework for the Gogar Burn. A more detailed feasibility study of these components was undertaken to assess the most suitable combination of solutions. In particular a proposal to divert the Gogar Burn to the south of the cross-wind runway, then down the east side of the Airport to join the Almond, instead of crossing the flood plain south of the Airport then crossing the Airport and its main runway in a constrained and at capacity culvert, is being developed to planning application stage. If implemented this proposal removes flood constraints from land south of the Airport including the Hilton Hotel area and the proposed business development land.
Strategic Environmental Assessment
40. A Strategic Environmental Assessment ( SEA) has been undertaken to inform the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 and deals more fully with the environment of West Edinburgh and with the forecast impacts of different strategy options. It does not seek to address direct environmental impacts of the 2003 Air Transport White Paper. It does, however, consider the elements of the Airport development over which the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 has influence, including the surface access strategy for the Airport, and has made recommendations for the final West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2008 in light of the environmental considerations and responses to consultation on the draft SEA. Reference should be made to the Environmental Report.
Environmental Noise Directive
41. The European Directive 2002/49/ EC relating to the assessment and management of environmental noise (The Environmental Noise Directive) was transposed into Scottish Regulations in 2006. This directive concerns noise from road, rail and air traffic and within large urban areas including Edinburgh, from industry, including ports. It focuses on the impact of such noise on individuals, complementing existing EU legislation which sets standards for noise emissions from specific sources. Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport are included within the first round of noise mapping and action planning. Maps have been produced in 2007, with the action plans following a year later in 2008. During the second round (2012-13) all agglomerations, major roads, major railways and major airports as defined by the Environmental Noise Directive will be mapped and then action plans will be developed for them. With major developments foreseen at Edinburgh Airport and also in West Edinburgh itself there may be a need for extra mapping and action planning beyond the normal 5-yearly cycle required by the Directive.
European Landscape Convention
42. The Council of Europe's European Landscape Convention was ratified by the UK Government on 21 November 2006. It promotes the protection, management and planning of all landscape. It deals with the concept of landscape, encompassing town and country whether considered beautiful or degraded, recognising that landscapes will continue to evolve in response to society's needs, and that this change should be managed. It promotes greater awareness and better understanding of landscape, the values society places on it and the benefits it provides, and encourages an inclusive, integrated and forward looking approach to managing the landscapes we inherit and the new landscapes that we shape.
43. This philosophy is integral to land use policy in West Edinburgh, in creating in the A8 Corridor an environment which acknowledges the environmental, social and economic benefit of good design, enhancing the landscape as a fitting setting for economic development, and promoting through the Corridor as a whole a holistic approach to landscape quality. City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise have commissioned consultants to prepare a strategic design framework for implementation of the West Edinburgh Planning Framework.
West Edinburgh Visitor Accommodation Analysis
44. City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise commissioned Tourism Resources Company to undertake a study of visitor accommodation in West Edinburgh. This looked at current and future supply and demand for accommodation in the catchment of Edinburgh Airport. The study concluded that shortages of bed stock in City of Edinburgh are paralleled by underprovision around Edinburgh Airport, with immediate requirements for additional hotel development and future requirements as the Airport continues to grow. This requirement equates to 550 additional rooms by 2010, a further 450 by 2013, and a further 1,100 by 2030.
West Edinburgh International Business Gateway: Market Assessment
45. Consultants were engaged by Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council to advise on the proposal for, and definition of, International Business Gateway in the draft West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2006. They benchmarked Edinburgh against competitive cities worldwide, and concluded that Edinburgh would be unlikely to attract global headquarters functions as a working hypothesis. While anything is possible, it was more likely that Edinburgh could compete successfully for headquarters back office functions, providing high value, highly skilled functions in shared service centres. Further advice is being sought on how the International Business Gateway can be defined in these terms, and how it can be promoted without undermining existing Class 4 business allocations in the Greater Edinburgh area.
« Previous | Contents | Next »