Edinburgh Arena

The most interesting planning application of the whole year has been lodged by the international entertainment group AEG which runs the O2 Arena in London. The pre application notice (PAN) is for an 8,500 seater arena designed by American architects HOK at Edinburgh Park.

The development will include restaurants and cafés, public realm, landscaping, parking and infrastructure. No doubt there will be questions asked about why there is any need for parking at Edinburgh Park which is so well served by public transport.

Until now Edinburgh has not had a large scale indoor venue like this, despite murmurings of an arena out at Straiton at one time.

Alex Hill, President and CEO of AEG Europe told The Scotsman: “AEG is thrilled to announce this spectacular new arena for Edinburgh.

“It’s a location with immense potential, amplified by Parabola’s transformative development and regeneration of Edinburgh Park.

“The much needed 8,500-capacity arena will bring world-class live music and entertainment to Edinburgh, further cementing its reputation as a destination for culture and global tourism.

“We look forward to this development becoming an integral part of the local community and complementing one of the best cities in the world for the arts and live entertainment.”

There will be pre application events at 1 New Park Square – the Parabola building next to the tram stop at Edinburgh Park Central – on 4 December and 9 January when plans will be displayed and questions answered by the developers. The dedicated website is www.edinburgharena.com which does not appear to be live just yet.

The application relates to plots EE1 and EE1b for which there is an existing consent for office space, an aparthotel, retain and a cinema.

The site is “bounded by a railway line and the Edinburgh Park Rail and Tram Station to the south, a hotel to the west, scrubland to the north and an electricity substation to the east.

Corstorphine Community Council, Ratho & District Community Council, Sighthill Broomhouse and Parkhead Community Council and Currie Community Council will be consulted on the proposals.

Council Leader Cammy Day said: “Great to see plans for an Edinburgh Arena at Edinburgh Park. Great opportunity for Edinburgh. Looking forward to the consultation and plans being submitted.”

Parabola the company which is creating a cultural quarter here in Edinburgh is run by Peter Millican. Mr Millican hopes the new arena will put West Edinburgh on the map as a new cultural destination.

Already Parabola has created the bones of a “new urban quarter, a cultural destination and creative campus for Edinburgh”. Millican describes it as one of Edinburgh’s most important masterplans.Homes are included in the mix including private homes, and those for mid-market rent and affordable homes. There is also a plan for a 150 seat conference facility.

Stop the Quarry

Jupiter Artland, the art and sculpture park at Wilkieston, is proactive in helping to gather objections to the planning application to expand Bonnington Quarry and site a large recycling plant there.

The arts centre ran a poster and placard making session last weekend and then took photos in a field off Wilkieston Road to highlight the objections to the application by Breedon.

A petition is running here set up by residents who feel it is their “duty to protect and maintain the beautiful countryside”. Their petition page here states: “We are objecting to the extension of Bonnington Quarry, Bonnington Ratho – situated alongside the B7030 and the Wilkieston Road. If planning is granted this will impact on air quality, wildlife, increased heavy lorry traffic, noise, and dust, together with a loss of agricultural land and a significant impact on the landscape.”

Jupiter Artland said: “9-92 year olds came out to protest against the planning application for doubling the size of the quarry near Jupiter and on their doorsteps. Jupiter threw open its doors to help make placards and chat about the concerns of our community. The reasons for protesting were very personal. One little girl said “I have asthma and I am nine . I want to be able to breathe.” Another nonagenarian gentleman quietly wanted to continue living peacefully for the rest of his life in his home where he had been for over 40 years. The local farmer worried about the already dangerous road and the huge increase in lorries. Others feared that the doubling of the quarry would open the way to an asphalt plant and recycling. Others worried that the blasting already shaking their houses would be so much worse.”

Breedon are planning to lodge a full planning application for the development following a period of public consultation which has now ended. Read more here.

Save Western Harbour Ponds

A meeting will be held on Sunday to discuss the next steps in the campaign to save the area, which has become important for wildlife during the last decade or so, from development for housing.

This is a reclaimed area of land covered in vegetation and trees. A Tree Protection Order is in place.

And today the Development Management Committee meeting of the council will hear about Plot 1 at Western Harbour View which developers FM Developments Ltd want to turn into a brownfield residential development. They always planned this but the plans lodged in 2008 for 109 flats and 13 townhouses were interrupted firstly by the economic crash of 2008 and secondly by Covid. The developers lodged a Proposal of Application Notice 23/06110/PAN for the 0.5 hectare site and now the developers are bringing that to the attention of planners for any comment ahead of a full planning application being lodged.

There are two applications on the Development Management Committee meeting agenda today for change of use to short term letting which are recommended for approval while others are recommended for refusal.

And one application for approval of the plans to use a site at Newbridge for industrial use has attracted some criticism from the local councillor.

Read more here.

The papers for this meeting are here with details of how to watch the live broadcast from 10am.

Devolution reminder

As the Chancellor prepares to deliver his Autumn Statement later today, the UK Government in Scotland has published a reminder that it is a quarter of a century since the Scotland Act 1998 was passed introducing devolution to the country.

There is an explainer page here which is a useful ready reckoner of what devolution means and which areas are supposed to be reserved and which are not.

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Phyllis Stephen
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.