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WEST EDINBURGH - A NATIONAL ASSET
12 West Edinburgh is one of the most important gateways to Scotland. A number of factors combine to give the area a competitive advantage over other UK and European investment locations:
- Scotland and Edinburgh's reputation as a growing and internationally competitive centre of excellence for financial services, life sciences and tourism;
- proximity to a rapidly growing international airport and improving global connections;
- Edinburgh's international reputation as an attractive Capital City and the quality of life experienced in the area;
- a strategic location within the Central Belt with major road links and firm proposals for the introduction of heavy and light rail networks; and
- proximity to major centres of population and within commuting distance of a large and talented workforce.
13 A combination of these factors has already helped the area become one of the most important economic development zones in Scotland 3. 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 to provide a further 20,000-30,000 jobs.
14 The area also presents a unique and nationally significant opportunity to allocate land around the expanding airport and served by a range of means of transport for international business development 4. This land, along with the Airport and other identified and established employment sites would be removed from the Green Belt 5 in accordance with SPP 21 Green Belts. These changes should be implemented through the development plan process.
15 The development pressure and transport constraints being experienced in the area now and in the future will mean that safeguarding and nurturing the area's competitive advantage over the long term will require careful planning and phasing of investment. Mitigation of the adverse transport impacts of already committed development at the Airport, within West Edinburgh and further afield in Fife and West Lothian is the key challenge. This will require careful integration of transport and land use to set the context for development supported by a sustainable transport system, ensuring that accessibility is not compromised. Maintaining efficient surface access to the airport with greater focus on public transport mode share is of prime strategic importance.
16 The environmental quality of the gateway to Scotland's capital city also needs to be protected and enhanced. To match rapidly rising international standards, developments in West Edinburgh must incorporate the most sustainable and high quality principles and practices.
17 Committed and any future development also has environmental implications for air quality. Road traffic in narrow tenemental streets between the city centre and West Edinburgh create hotspots of poor air quality and these should not be allowed to extend more generally to West Edinburgh. Air quality in these hotspots breaches EU and national rules, and measures, particularly affecting road transport, will have to be taken to meet the relevant obligations. Forecast vehicle emissions from the transport modelling have been taken into account in the SEA carried out to inform the West Edinburgh Planning Framework 2006. The City of Edinburgh Council is encouraged to establish a regular air quality monitoring regime in the West Edinburgh area and to implement an Air Quality Action Plan if necessary.
18 A number of things need to happen if the area is to realise its full potential as a driver of the Scottish economy and high quality gateway to the world:
- improved public transport accessibility and management of road congestion likely to be caused by development already committed in West Edinburgh and beyond;
- sustainable airport expansion subject to improved surface access;
- a redefinition of the boundaries of Edinburgh's Green Belt in the A8/Airport corridor;
- environmental enhancements throughout the area; and
- development of selected sites for high quality international business development served by a high quality transport system.
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