Tag: Public Consultation Event

Opportunity to view proposals for former Saica site at Maybury

ONE THOUSAND HOMES AND HOTEL PROPOSED FOR WEST EDINBURGH SITE

The public are to be given the chance to view and comment on exciting proposals for a sustainable residential-led development at Maybury Quarter Edinburgh, site of the former Saica packaging facility in West Edinburgh.

Promoted by regeneration specialists, Summix Capital, Maybury Quarter Edinburgh provides an ideal opportunity to regenerate this former industrial location on Turnhouse Road, which covers 15.5-acre (6.3 hectares).

The flagship low carbon neighbourhood aims to deliver a mix of uses, including housing, hotel, commercial and retail uses. This brownfield site is allocated in the Council’s Proposed City Plan 2030 for residential-focused redevelopment.

The first public consultation event outlining the proposals will be TOMORROW – Wednesday 27th March 2024 – at Delta Hotels by Marriott, 111 Glasgow Rd, Edinburgh EH12 8NF between 2pm and 7pm. 

A second event will be held on 22nd May 2024 at the same venue and time, presenting updated proposals which will include appropriate feedback and comments from the first event and other stakeholder engagement.

Further information will be made available at www.maybury-quarter.co.uk, which will host consultation materials on the day of the event.

The proposals for Maybury Quarter will ‘aim to deliver a balanced mix of uses that promote health, wellbeing and sustainable lifestyles which are designed to encourage a strong sense of place and community’.

It will aim to deliver:

  • 1000 homes
  • Hotel – 120-150 rooms
  • Retail/potential local centre – 30,000 sq. ft. overall
  • Extensive green spaces will be created, with high-quality public realm and access arrangements

The housing proposed will include tenure blind affordable housing, addressing the city’s well-publicised housing emergency, and including the provision of accessible family homes and Build to Rent (BTR) accommodation. BTR sees homes built specifically for rent, rather than sale.

It is anticipated than an application for detailed planning permission to City of Edinburgh Council will be submitted towards the end of 2024.

Stuart Black, Development Director for Summix Capital, commented: “We are delighted to give the community the chance to view and feedback on our proposals for Maybury Quarter Edinburgh, which provides a unique opportunity to redevelop one of the last major pieces of brownfield land in the city into a brand-new, sustainable mixed-use community. 

“The site’s regeneration has the potential to provide much-needed homes, employment and investment, helping to address the current housing emergency, and taking advantage of and strengthening already excellent public transport links by train, tram, bus and cycle.

“Maybury Quarter must be one of the most exciting and best-connected development sites in Scotland.”

Spain-based paper and cardboard company Saica has relocated to a purpose-built facility at Deans Road in Livingston.  It is active in nine other European countries.

About Summix Capital

Summix Capital is a regeneration company specialising in development projects across the UK and Ireland.  Working with its partners, it has successfully delivered thousands of homes in the UK and Ireland since its foundation in 2006.

It works closely with sector specialists across the property space, unlocking challenging sites and helping speed up what can often be a long development process from conception to delivery. Its aspiration is to ensure that housing, student accommodation and mixed-use schemes are delivered where they are most needed.

The company’s vision for regeneration involves taking on sites with vacant possession to dormant, dilapidated structures and developing a viable plan for their redevelopment and repurposing.  At a time when the demand for housing far outstrips supply, a steady flow of land is essential.

In 2017, the Summix Capital Partners I LP fund was launched to further enhance its ability to deliver larger and more complex projects. 

Further information about Summix is available at: https://summix.com/

Former Leith bingo hall to be redeveloped

MORE STUDENT ACCOMMODATION EARMARJKED FOR LEITH

Members of the public are being invited to offer feedback on plans to redevelop the bingo hall located on Leith’s Manderston Steet.

Developer Longstone (2) Limited has unveiled plans to conserve and redevelop the existing building into new student homes. This is in response to a local desire to preserve the building, located in the Leith Conservation Area, and address a ‘chronic undersupply of student accommodation in the capital’.  

The proposals follow the decision by the current operators of the bingo hall, Club 3000, to move to new premises in nearby Ocean Terminal in summer 2024.  

The conservation and retention of the property does restrict its potential uses and following the building’s inclusion in the Leith Conservation Area, the potential to use the site for housing was explored.

However, the building is not well-suited to a residential conversion and a viable scheme would fail to comply with many of the Council’s planning policies for new housing (for example, dual aspect dwellings and minimum open space requirements). If housing were to be delivered, it would require the demolition of the building.

The proposed use as student homes allows for the creation of a high-quality development that complies with the Council’s student housing policies, while also retaining and enhancing the elements of the building that contribute to the surrounding Conservation Area.

The existing building is in poor condition and is extremely energy inefficient. In 2020, Historic Environment Scotland (Scotland’s heritage agency) assessed the building for potential listed status and concluded that it did not meet the criteria of special architectural or historic interest.

The use of the space for student homes, will also serve to free up residential properties that otherwise would have been used by students, whose numbers in Edinburgh’s universities have grown by over 25% between 2016/17 and 2021/22 (Cushman & Wakefield Student Needs Assessment, July 2023).

The public consultation event will take place on Wednesday 17th January 2024 between 4:00pm and 7:30pm in McDonald Road Library, 2-8 McDonald Road, Edinburgh EH7 4LU. 

Exhibition boards detailing the project will be available at the event, as well as from the project website (www.manderston-street.co.uk) from 9am on the day of the event. 

Feedback forms will also be available, and attendees are encouraged to share their views. The form will also be available on the website and all feedback should be returned by Wednesday 31 January.  

A Longstone (2) Limited spokesperson said: “The local community has expressed a strong desire to conserve the former mill building and our plans for the site allow us to do this.

“While enhancing the character of the Conservation Area, the conversion of the building will help to relieve pressure on the local housing market. The proposals will also deliver considerable economic benefits in terms of the construction and operation of the development, and with students spending money in local shops and other outlets.

“We are keen to welcome local residents to our public consultation event and to working with them as we progress the development.”