At Tuesday’s Policy and Sustainability Committee a decision will be taken by councillors which will allow the development of the area known as BioQuarter to move forward.
As it stands there are several entities involved in the development including The City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian. Now to unlock the potential of the site – where the land is already publicly owned – the existing partners will form a company and seek a commercial partner to add the vital spark and some funding to take BioQuarter to the next level.
Identified in the Local Development Plan as an area where life science businesses will develop and which will support growth and regeneration in the south east of the city, it is an area of huge importance to Edinburgh. It will add to the economy, and it will be an area of inclusive growth as more jobs will be available – and these jobs will be attractive to people living nearby.
In addition the area will become a 20 minute neighbourhood with 400 new homes and 200 affordable. It is also possible – as the Council Leader, Adam McVey told us in this interview – that the tram could be extended to BioQuarter from the city centre.
None of this will happen overnight, but what will happen tomorrow at the next council meeting could unlock the next steps.
You can watch the Policy and Sustainability Committee at this link here on Tuesday 5 October from 10am.
The BioQuarter is the collective name given to the life sciences campus at Little France that is home to the Royal Infirmary Edinburgh as well as many other buildings and institutes. The public sector partners leading the development of the BioQuarter are NHS Lothian, Scottish Enterprise, University of Edinburgh and the Council.
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