Posted on 18 Jul 2008

Shops, town square, high school and public library set to create "new heart for regeneration area"

Craigmillar town centre is set to be transformed into a vibrant neighbourhood hub under ambitious plans submitted this week to The City of Edinburgh Council.

New shops, a new town square and a £30 million high school and public library form the cornerstones of the Craigmillar town centre masterplan which has been spearheaded by PARC, the organisation behind the regeneration of the area.

Covering an area of more than 50 acres, the masterplan sets out a blueprint for a new heart for the Craigmillar community and the entire regeneration process. Its key features include:

• An improved retail offering, including a new foodstore, to meet the needs of residents and visitors and create more employment opportunities for local people.

• A new £30 million community high school and public library.

• Safe, secure and integrated links with ParcLife’s housing developments at The Square, plus the development of over 600 new residential apartments and houses.

• A new commercial and civic heart for Craigmillar providing new offices and commercial units, and opportunities for economic development.

• Improved opportunities for existing youth and medical facilities.

• An improved streetscape, including additional and improved existing pedestrian footpaths and crossings, improvement of key junctions on Niddrie Mains Road, development of shop frontages and the planting of over 250 new street trees.

Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, Chair of PARC said: "The submission of the town centre masterplan marks a key milestone in the regeneration process, by bringing together all the developments in the area.

"These impressive plans will create a new heart for the regeneration area by revitalising the town centre and creating a range of opportunities for local people in Craigmillar."

The final application has been submitted following a lengthy consultation process by Broadway Malyan, the architect commissioned by PARC to undertake masterplanning and urban design services for the masterplan.

An extensive programme of public consultation began in June 2007, consulting with key stakeholder and community groups and the general public within Craigmillar through a series of meetings, drop-in sessions and public exhibitions.

Mike Harrison at Broadway Malyan said: "This is an extraordinary opportunity for the regeneration of Craigmillar with the potential to create a vibrant and community focused town centre. We have spent a lot of time in Craigmillar over the last year sharing these proposals with the community and to give the people of Craigmillar the chance to express their views and inform the process."

As part of its plans for Craigmillar, PARC is also carrying out a feasibility study into the use of combined heat and power (CHP) for the community. If practical, the new town centre developments would be the first to benefit from a CHP scheme, which would deliver considerable energy savings in Craigmillar, along with environmental benefits through reduced carbon emissions.

The planning approval process is likely to take until the end of the year. The masterplan is a 10 to 15 year vision, but it is likely that the foodstore and the school will be delivered early on in the process.

Ends 18 July 2008

Issued on behalf of PARC by Weber Shandwick, public relations consultants. For more information, interviews and images contact Jennifer McMahon or Richard Bright on 0131 556 6649 or 07770 886 925 / 914.

PARC is a joint venture company which brings developers The EDI Group and The City of Edinburgh Council together with groups and representatives from the local Craigmillar community.

PARC is spearheading the regeneration of Craigmillar, involving a total investment of around £200 million. For Craigmillar, PARC wants to achieve:

• Quality, affordable new homes promoted and sold under the ParcLife name.
• New primary schools - including a joint primary schools campus at The Square.
• A new community high school and library located in the town centre.
• A new, revitalised town centre providing some 300,000 sq ft of space for commercial and retail development.
• A network of public parks bringing together 150 acres of green space.
• More local job and career opportunities.
• Improved learning and leisure facilities for young people.
• Better transport linkages and traffic calming measures.

For further information on ParcLife, please call 0845 220 5000, email parclife@rettie.co.uk or visit www.parclife.co.uk.