This nationally significant development of Edinburgh’s coastline, centred around the historic gasholder, will provide 847 new homes along with a mixture of commercial spaces and facilities.
The area benefits from a stunning coastal location and views, framed by existing historic and natural features, and provides the opportunity to create a new coastal neighbourhood where Edinburgh meets the Firth of Forth. The pre-application design process has been carefully carried out to ensure sensitivity to the heritage of the area, giving consideration of the settings of the gasholder, Caroline Park House, and Granton Castle Walled Garden. In-progress and upcoming developments next to the site include a new school, a park within the restored gasholder, and the National Museums of Scotland ‘Art Works’ collection building project. Connections to these, as well as to the future phases of the masterplan, will combine to create a vibrant new neighbourhood.
To instil a sense of a unique place, the proposal has been designed to create three different character areas, focused respectively on the gasholder, on the existing active travel route which links to The Art Works, and on the coast. Subtle differences in the building and landscape designs help to add charm to each area, making a desirable place to dwell within or visit. New streets and public spaces within the proposal are designed to encourage social interaction and a sense of community by improving public safety, by promoting active forms of travel, and by providing seating areas where people can linger and chat.
Opportunities to interact with nature are given through extensive areas of planting, blue-green infrastructure, and the retention of the band of existing trees along the northern edge of the gasholder, which will be enhanced with a new path and seating. Commercial spaces will be created at ground level along key routes and at key corners within the site. These will provide local business opportunities, create activity on the streets, and can support the needs of the new community. A diverse mix of tenures and homes will be provided within the development, which will include flats, family homes, and wheelchair accessible homes. The aspiration of Granton Waterfront is to create an attractive urban environment with a strong sense of community which fosters the wellbeing of its residents.