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WEST EDINBURGH PLANNING FRAMEWORK

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INTRODUCTION

1. The Scottish Executive is preparing a national planning framework. It will identify West Edinburgh as a location where, a co-ordinated approach to planning is required in the national interest. A Working Group, with Scottish Executive, City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian was set up to prepare this Planning Framework. A Stakeholders Advisory Group was also set up to inform the work and discussions were held with a range of other community and private sector interests.

2. The economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians is forecast to continue growing at a steady pace, mainly on the strength of the financial, business services and communications sectors in Edinburgh. Shortage of labour and ongoing restructuring is presenting challenges, but in general terms, the economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians is in a healthy state. Edinburgh is predicted to have the fastest growing economy of any major city in the UK over the next five years. ¹

3. West Edinburgh is nationally important in economic, transport, and environmental terms. The nature and scale of development, both existing and committed, is significant to the regional and Scottish economy. Established land uses such as Edinburgh Airport and the Royal Highland Showground play a national or regional role, and have aspirations for long-term growth. The existence of the Airport, and the road and rail routes that connect West Edinburgh to the rest of the country place it in a strategically important location, although growing road congestion problems are evident. Much of the area is designated Green Belt, which provides an attractive western edge to the City and plays a strategic role in supporting Edinburgh's compact city form.

4. In recognition of these factors, together with pressures for development and opportunities to integrate transport and land use, the Scottish Executive, the City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian have worked with the stakeholders to prepare a long-term strategic planning framework for the area. The Framework serves as an input to the structure and local plans for the area and will be taken into account by the Scottish Ministers in their consideration of development plans. It will also be a material consideration in development control decisions.

5. Some elements of the Vision for west Edinburgh continue to be the subject of ongoing studies but it is possible at this stage to consider how potential outcomes may influence patterns of investment and development. The Planning Framework provides a strategic policy framework, which integrates current and future development with investment in transport. It is pitched at a strategic level and highlights the need to safeguard and co-ordinate a range of options for investment, without specifying the detail of individual schemes.

6. The Planning Framework is accompanied and supported by background papers ² on the economy, transport and the environment.

WEST EDINBURGH - THE PLACE

7. The main focus of the Planning Framework includes the Sighthill and South Gyle employment areas, Edinburgh Park and the Gyle Centre, and the A8 corridor to Newbridge, including the Royal Highland Showground and the Airport (Figure One). It is effectively concerned with setting out a long-term vision (to 2020 and beyond) for the A8 transport corridor.

FIGURE ONE

8. West Edinburgh is the principal gateway to Scotland's capital city. Largely comprising Green Belt land, the area is predominantly rural in character although does contain a number of established strategic business locations, particularly on the urban fringe and beyond the Green Belt at Newbridge. Within the Green Belt, the policy of restraint has had the effect of safeguarding the long-term development potential of Edinburgh Airport as well as redirecting development pressure to previously developed sites and locations within the urban area in line with sustainable development principles. This has been successful, with the trend in recent years for planned business park development or the incremental redevelopment of established industrial areas for modern business uses offering large numbers of high quality jobs.

9. Recently however, there has been a step change in the pace and scale of development and interest in the area combined with increasing pressures being placed on the transport network, Green Belt and environment to which this Planning Framework is responding. Table One provides a summary of existing and already committed development, which serves as a baseline for the Planning Framework. Table Two lists already committed transport investments. These existing commitments are shown diagrammatically on Figure Two.

FIGURE TWO

TABLE ONE
Schedule of existing and committed development

TABLE TWO
Committed transport investments

WEST EDINBURGH - A NATIONAL ASSET

10. A number of factors combine to give West Edinburgh a competitive advantage over other UK and even European investment locations:

• a key strategic location within the Central Belt with connections to strategic road links and potential for improved heavy and light rail networks;
• proximity to a rapidly growing international airport;
• proximity to major centres of population;
• Edinburgh's reputation as an international tourist destination;
• quality of life in Edinburgh and the Lothians; and
• a long established and buoyant financial sector in Edinburgh seeking modern accommodation.

11. A combination of these factors has helped the area become one of the most important economic development zones in Scotland. There are currently around 20,000 jobs located in the area. Development already with the benefit of planning permission but not yet built is estimated to have capacity for a further 20-30,000 jobs.

12. In addition, it has become clear that key stakeholders have aspirations for consolidation and additional growth in the long term, for example, The Royal Bank of Scotland at Gogarburn. The owners of the Gyle Centre have aspirations for further retail growth, improvements in accessibility by public transport and enhancement of its retail and community facilities. Edinburgh Airport's rapid growth is also forecast to continue to beyond 10 million passengers per annum by 2015 and beyond 20 million by 2030. With the investment programme underway at the Showground, visitor numbers are projected to increase in future years. The Showground is also home to a growing number of organisations connected to agriculture and the food chain, and forms a small business cluster in that sector. In addition to all of this, the finalised version of the Edinburgh and Lothians Structure Plan proposes Newbridge/Kirkliston/Ratho and Edinburgh Park/South Gyle/Sighthill as core development areas where development will be encouraged subject to the provision of key transport infrastructure and to other Development Plan policies.

13. In the longer term, and providing congestion problems can be addressed and public transport accessibility and environmental quality enhanced, the Scottish Ministers regard West Edinburgh as a unique opportunity in Scotland to create an international business location, capable of attracting world class companies and headquarters opportunities.

14. Clearly however, the development pressure and transport constraints being experienced in the area means that safeguarding and enhancing the area's competitive advantage for future generations will require careful planning. Mitigation of the adverse transport impacts of already committed development is the key challenge. This will require careful integration of transport and land use so that accessibility is not compromised, travel times are reduced and capacity for additional development is created in the context of a sustainable transport system. Meeting demand for air travel is also of strategic importance. It is also important that strategic green belt objectives are not undermined through the unnecessary development of green belt land and that the environmental quality of the gateway to Scotland's capital city is protected and enhanced. To match rapidly rising international standards, developments in West Edinburgh must incorporate the most sustainable and high quality principles and practices. The knock on effects of investment in West Edinburgh for the wider national and regional economy and labour supply also need to be taken into account.

15. The national interest in West Edinburgh can therefore be defined as being the:

• need to improve public transport accessibility to established development sites and reduce congestion;
• ealisation of opportunities for airport expansion and better surface access;
• need to reinforce the strategic role of Edinburgh's Green Belt;
• incorporation of sustainable development principles into planning and enhancement of environmental quality; and the
• need to safeguard accessibility and a strategic reserve of land for the realisation of additional high quality economic development potential in the longer term (post 2020) served by a high quality transport system.

BACKGROUND ISSUES, PRESSURES AND CONSTRAINTS

ECONOMY AND LABOUR SUPPLY

16. The economy of Edinburgh and the Lothians is expected to generate demand for up to 330,000 sq. m of new additional floorspace for business (class 4) uses through to 2015. Developments already with the benefit of planning permission at Edinburgh Park and Newbridge themselves have capacity of approximately 400,000 sq. m. Edinburgh as a whole is estimated to have development capacity for well over the estimated demand in locations such as the City Centre, Waterfront and Leith. These, along with other locations in Edinburgh and the Lothians are therefore regarded as having potential to provide more than an adequate supply of land for economic development in Edinburgh and the Lothians to 2015 at least. There will be issues over its location and quality but even after 2015 there is no evidence to suggest that there would be any general need for the release of Green Belt land in West Edinburgh to meet forecast demand. In any event, there is a projected shortfall of labour supply in Edinburgh and the Lothians. Overcoming this suggests greater levels of in-migration or in-commuting which raises separate issues for housing land supply and transport, in Lothian and beyond, in Fife, Falkirk, Scottish Borders and North Lanarkshire, for example.

17. It therefore appears that any significant release of Green Belt land for economic 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.

ACCESSIBILITY AND PUBLIC TRANSPORT

18. West Edinburgh generates large travel demands from commuters, people travelling through the area into and from Edinburgh, airport users and other activities. Public transport serves parts of the area, but is primarily bus based, and subject to traffic congestion. The road and rail network is either at or near maximum operating capacity, or is poorly integrated. The anticipated improvements in the short-term are modest compared to the large amounts of committed development. This points to a need for an early and sustained step change in levels of transport investment to contain existing levels of traffic congestion in line with national and local targets, safeguard accessibility and provide a long-term sustainable solution to existing transport problems. The promotion of a safer transport system and better provision for walking and cycling are other important considerations.

EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

19. Edinburgh Airport is experiencing rapid year on year passenger growth. Much of this is fuelled by the low cost operators, but work undertaken in preparation for the Aviation White Paper suggests that passenger numbers could grow from 7 million per annum to between 20 million and 24 million by 2030. Such passenger figures would support more direct flights to a greater range of destinations and increase competitive business links and inbound tourist traffic.

20. The Aviation Regional Consultation Document, ³ published in July 2002, proposes scenarios for the future growth and development of Edinburgh Airport. After considering the responses to the consultation, the Government and the Scottish Ministers will include a preferred way forward in the proposed Aviation White Paper in late 2003 or early 2004. A related study into airport rail links published its final report in February 2003. The Scottish Ministers are considering its recommendations. All this work raises issues over the Airport's future land, surface access, safeguarding, noise mitigation and public safety requirements over a 20 to 30 year period at least.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNICAL CONSTRAINTS

21. The environment of West Edinburgh outside the developed areas is characterised by open countryside. Some parts of the area are subject to flood risk, important for floodwater storage and managed by systems of flood defences. There are also landscapes of high amenity and a number of isolated cultural and natural heritage assets. As well as the safeguarding and safety zones associated with the airport, there are the safeguarding and consultation zones associated with two high-pressure gas pipelines running through the area.

22. Committed and any further development also has environmental implications for air quality. Road traffic in narrow tenemental streets in the west side inner areas of the city create air quality hotspots and these should not be allowed to extend more generally to West Edinburgh. Such hotspots have air quality in breach of EU and national rules, and measures, particularly affecting road transport, will have to be taken to meet the relevant obligations.

THE VISION FOR WEST EDINBURGH

23. In response to all of these issues and to the need to safeguard and enhance the national asset that is West Edinburgh, the Scottish Ministers, the City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian and other stakeholders have worked together to develop a long-term strategic vision for the area. Key policy objectives include:

• the implementation of committed development in accordance with high design standards;
• ntroducing tram networks into and through the area for rapid transit within and between Edinburgh and the Lothians and local distribution;
• continued growth of Edinburgh Airport;
• the introduction of rail links to Edinburgh Airport to improve accessibility and reduce journey times from other parts of Scotland and the UK;
• integration of transport modes through the construction of a high quality transport interchange at Edinburgh Airport and park and ride facilities;
• no net detrimental impact to the free flow of traffic on the motorway and trunk road network; possibly achieved through enhancement of the existing road network, but recognising the value of implementing public transport schemes in advance of any enhancement of road access;
• the rounding off and more intensive development of key established development sites and their integration with an improved public transport network;
• a continued commitment to the strategic role of Edinburgh's Green Belt;
• rigorous mitigation of the environmental impact of investment, enhancement of environmental and landscape quality, promotion of high design standards; and
• safeguarding of land as Green Belt to help provide opportunities for high quality nationally significant economic development in the long-term.

THE PLANNING FRAMEWORK

24. In pursuit of these objectives, careful long term planning that integrates land use and transport is required in West Edinburgh. This Planning Framework is about safeguarding land to provide for airport requirements and other transport infrastructure and setting the parameters for long-term development potential against that background.

25. It is part of the vision that land use and transport systems integrate to enable more travel by public transport. It is also the intention to invest early in transport to alleviate congestion affecting existing and committed development. This will improve accessibility. It will also help meet wider environmental and social inclusion objectives. In the short-term, however, it is expected that even with committed transport improvements, congestion problems are likely to worsen as a result of the traffic generated by development already with the benefit of planning permission and the continuing underlying growth in traffic levels. The priority for this Planning Framework is to relieve these pressures, stabilise traffic levels and facilitate the continued growth and development of established land uses in West Edinburgh consistent with the long-term vision. Beyond that, there may be capacity in an improved transport system to support further development, but the stewardship of that capacity has to be carefully planned firstly to avoid its unwise use, and secondly to avoid development in West Edinburgh contrary to the strategy of the Edinburgh and the Lothians Structure Plan 2015 and in detrimental competition with Structure Plan core development areas.

26. The West Edinburgh Planning Framework supports further development on selected established development sites and intensification of existing land uses to 2020. Scottish Ministers do not consider there to be a need to release green field land for this purpose. Development should also be subject to the availability of new high quality public transport capacity and management of its transport impacts by a West Edinburgh co-ordinated Travel Plan organisation. ⁴ A more detailed description of the nature and scale of development consistent with realisation of the vision for West Edinburgh is set out in Table Three.

TABLE THREE
Schedule of development 2020

27. As far as transport improvements are concerned, the Scottish Ministers have already stated in Scotland's Transport: Delivering Improvements ⁵ that developing rail links to Edinburgh and Glasgow Airports is one of the top ten priorities for transport delivery. The Edinburgh Airport link would facilitate access to the area and reduce journey times for people travelling from all parts of Scotland. Another of the top ten priorities for the Scottish Ministers in transport delivery is the development of an effective, modern 21st century public transport system for the City with 375 million recently committed to support this proposal. Implementation of the West Edinburgh portion of the Council's proposed Tram Network would go a significant way towards enabling local distribution and rapid transit of large numbers of people to the employment areas in West Edinburgh and the Airport. Table Four outlines the West Edinburgh tram proposal in more detail. The transport proposals are set out diagrammatically in Figure Three.

28. It is also recognised that these investments will only address congestion as part of a package of measures. For example, to be in line with The City of Edinburgh Council mode share targets, new developments in the area will be required to achieve a car driver journey to work mode share 49% or less. Developers will also be expected to contribute to transport investments that will facilitate achieving this target.

TABLE FOUR
Proposed West Edinburgh Tram

FIGURE THREE

29. Work being undertaken to inform the Aviation White Paper is exploring various options for the future development of Edinburgh Airport. When a clearer understanding of the future development and surface access requirements of the airport is established, it will be necessary to make appropriate safeguards in the Development Plan. These may include a new parallel runway, heavy rail links, and a west Edinburgh Tram and improved road access, perhaps including better links to the Gogar and Newbridge junctions. These proposals are indicated in general terms in Figure Three but will need to be revisited over time to take account of progress with the outcomes of the Aviation White Paper and decisions made elsewhere on specific schemes. This will be possible through a review of this Planning Framework.

30. Providing accessibility can be safeguarded and enhanced, Scottish Ministers also recognise the long-term economic development potential of the national asset that is West Edinburgh. This should be safeguarded for future generations and for exceptional world class developments where West Edinburgh is not in competition with elsewhere in Scotland but with other UK, European or other international locations. The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland acknowledges that the presence of corporate headquarters is beneficial to the Scottish economy in that they create high quality employment and generate a strong demand for business services. SPP2: Economic Development promotes a positive and prompt planning response to proposals for new headquarters buildings where justified on the basis of a strong economic case and the particular locational requirements of the company.

31. After investments in strategic transport are committed, providing there is spare capacity in the transport network and subject to a review of this Framework, there may be justification to release Green Belt land for high quality economic development. This should take place in the context of a long-term settlement strategy for Edinburgh and the Lothians as set out in the Development Plan. Based on the economic analysis carried out to inform this document and set out in the background paper, the Scottish Ministers would not expect a need for the release of any substantial areas of Green Belt land in West Edinburgh for economic development to emerge much before 2030, and certainly not before 2020. Development should not compromise the strategic aims of the Green Belt as set out in the Structure Plan. Additionally, such development would have to satisfy all of the following criteria:

• be located at a point on the transport system in West Edinburgh where maximum advantage could be taken of the new public transport facilities provided or proposed and management of their transport impact can be undertaken by a West Edinburgh co-ordinated Travel Plan organisation;
• development should make a significant contribution to the delivery of improved public transport facilities and would be dependent on their provision;
• development would conform to a set of planning principles in which high quality design and landscaping is paramount in creating a development worthy of the locational advantages conferred by West Edinburgh;
• the choice of location could be demonstrated as not being between sites within the Edinburgh area, but being between sites in West Edinburgh and other UK, European or international locations; and
• be able to demonstrate a business need for being located close to an international airport.

ACTION REQUIRED

32. Implementation and delivery of the vision for West Edinburgh will require careful long-term planning that safeguards and creates long-term opportunities and integrates investment in development and transport. Development Plans will play a key role.

33. The Edinburgh and the Lothians Structure Plan should:

• recognise the national importance of the area and incorporate the vision set out in this Framework;
• reaffirm the commitment to the long-term stability and endurance of the Green Belt in West Edinburgh, and to the need for an enhancement of environmental quality and the promotion of high design standards;
• define the terms of local planning action required to implement this Planning Framework, including safeguards required for the implementation of transport infrastructure;
• explain mechanisms by which stakeholders can be brought together to act jointly to implement the Planning Framework, including a co-ordinated Travel Plan organisation; and
• set out a presumption against new development identified in Table Three until strategic public transport improvements are committed and unless development proposals generally accord with the broad terms of the proposed Travel Plan organisation.

34. Action for the Scottish Executive includes:

• continuing dialogue with the Stakeholders;
• continuing with progress on transport delivery; and
• monitoring and review of the Planning Framework.

35. In development control, this Planning Framework will constitute a material consideration. Decisions taken should seek to implement the policy objectives contained within it and avoid prejudicing the long-term vision.

CONCLUSIONS AND NEXT STEPS

36. This Planning Framework has been drawn up as a result of intensive work by the Scottish Executive, The City of Edinburgh Council and Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian. The wide range of other Stakeholders have been closely involved in its preparation. We now have a long-term strategic vision for West Edinburgh. This involves delivering solutions to existing transport problems. It also seeks to protect and nurture the national asset that is West Edinburgh in order to allow it to become a quality gateway, transport interchange and internationally competitive business location.

37. The Scottish Ministers are committed to the implementation and delivery of the Vision for West Edinburgh. This will require continued co-operation and effort from all the Stakeholders, over a sustained period. An early task will be to incorporate the Planning Framework into the statutory Development Plan. The Scottish Executive is also keen to play its part, initially through continued dialogue and progress on transport delivery. The Scottish Executive will also monitor progress with a view to initiating a review to take into account the outcomes of the rail links study and proposed Aviation White Paper.

QUESTIONS

38. Questions on the West Edinburgh Planning Framework should be directed to Tom Williamson (0131 244 7531) or by email to tom.williamson@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

DOCUMENTS

39. Copies of this document can be obtained by telephoning our planning helpline 08457 741 741 or Planning Division direct on 0131 244 7538. The Planning Framework, related background papers on economy, transport and environment as well as other Scottish Executive planning publications can be viewed on the Scottish Executive web site: www.scotland.gov.uk/planning

Footnotes

¹ Cambridge Econometrics
² Background papers are available on the Scottish Executive website www.scotland.gov.uk/planning
³www.airconsult.gov.uk
⁴ It is anticipated that employers in the area will form a joint organisation to co-ordinate Travel Plan activity for the mutual benefit of all, and that new development should be required to participate and work with the community towards the collective aims of such an organisation.
⁵www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/transport/stdi.pdf

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