A new bridge across the Union Canal has been installed in Winchburgh, connecting the heart of the fast-growing town to new amenities within easy walking distance.
The bridge sits next to the town’s canalside Marina and will link the community to Daisy Park, a planned new leisure space, once surrounding works are completed in the autumn.
It marks a further step forward for Winchburgh, which is set to grow from a population of 6,500 to 14,500 in the next decade, with the crossing offering quick access from the canal towpath to both the Marina and the emerging town centre.
On the opposite, north side of the Marina, plans remain in place for further waterside leisure development. Nearby, bordering the arterial Duntarvie Castle Road, developer Lovell has proposed a housing scheme including 39 affordable homes, adding to the wider Winchburgh development’s contribution to meeting West Lothian’s need for more affordable housing.
John Hamilton, CEO of Winchburgh Developments Ltd. (WDL), which leads the masterplan for Winchburgh, said: “Welcoming people into the heart of Winchburgh, while also encouraging residents of our community to easily access greenspace along the Union Canal, just became much easier with the installation of this new bridge. Improving access will benefit the town centre in the long-term and adds to our excellent links for those walking and wheeling in the community.”
In the development there will be 4,000 homes once they are all built in the next ten years. There is a mix of housing with associated infrastructure and amenity areas.
Auldcathie Park, measuring two-and-a-half times the size of Princes Street Gardens, runs through the heart of the community and borders the emerging town centre, home to a Sainsbury’s superstore and Scotland’s newest marina, which hosts tourists visiting by narrowboat via the Union Canal and people from near and far pursuing watersports as well as “some of the best coffee and gelato in the Lothians”.
There are four new schools, and a new junction on the M9.
Hamilton said: “Experience tells us that creating a community – especially on this scale – is not just about constructing a healthy mix of residential and business premises but ensuring that alongside the housing and shops are excellent leisure facilities, the best-equipped schools, and an environment that encourages people to strike a positive work-life balance and lead a healthy lifestyle.”
