Green Action Trust explores “ground-breaking opportunity” to secure interlinked green spaces in West Edinburgh
Scotland’s leading environmental regeneration charity, Green Action Trust, has confirmed it is exploring the possibility of creating inter-linked green spaces in the commercial and residential developments planned for West Edinburgh. The project, under the concept name Eden Link, would embed biodiversity and active travel opportunities, as well as providing much needed open spaces that are recognised as improving wellbeing and quality of life.
The proposal, which is now the subject of active dialogue with developers, The City of Edinburgh Council and The Scottish Government, would:
- provide interlinked green spaces and connections to existing landscapes and infrastructure, including rivers, canals, paths and cycle routes
- make a significant contribution to tackling climate change, and play a major part in Scotland’s green recovery
- boost biodiversity by providing interlinking of spaces which are key to preserving and expanding biodiversity and the wider natural environment.
- Eden Link would partly run through existing and proposed commercial and housing sites in the capital, and could also help support more active travel by opening up new walking and cycling routes from the Pentlands to the Firth of Forth. It is a unique opportunity to help link a number of other existing features in the area such as the John Muir Way, the River Almond, the Water of Leith, the Union Canal and national cycle routes. And, as the area has some of the best public transport connections in the country, it would be easily accessible to a large section of the Scottish population.
West Edinburgh has been identified as a key strategic part of the city’s economic growth and features several existing and proposed commercial and housing developments. The Green Action Trust proposal aims to embed environmental best practice at the earliest possible stage of the planning process, and to ensure that greenspace is considered in a way which is holistic and not piecemeal.
The Green Action Trust is Scotland’s leading environmental regeneration charity and has responsibility for delivery of the Central Scotland Green Network Plan, a £2.4 billion, 40-year programme and one of the largest green infrastructure initiatives in Europe.
Derek Robertson, Chief Executive of Green Action Trust said: “This is a groundbreaking opportunity to preserve green space and encourage biodiversity within a highly developed urban setting but the difference here is we have an opportunity to plan ahead and embed it as part of the new developments rather than retrofit it into an existing urban space.
“The plan would build connections between a complex, currently disjointed future world, with footpaths and cycle paths working in harmony with existing natural waterways, meadows, woodlands, and structured or curated gardens.
“Making it work would require a new approach from everyone including public and private bodies, but we are confident people will embrace this bold and exciting opportunity which could deliver some innovative projects within this large blue and green infrastructure accessible by all.”
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