The City of Edinburgh Council has approved plans for the construction of over 700 new homes in the area surrounding Meadowbank Sports Centre.

The project, described as a “transformational redevelopment” by the council, is being developed in collaboration with the Edinburgh-Meadowbank (EDMB) Consortium. The consortium, comprising Graham, Miller Homes, and Panacea Property Development, was appointed in 2022 to lead this multi-million-pound housing regeneration initiative.

Initially proposed to include 660 homes, the revised plans now encompass 704 units, with 35% designated as affordable housing.

During Wednesday’s Development Management Sub Committee meeting, the council approved an Application for Matters Specified (AMC) that had been recommended by planners.

A council spokesperson stated, “High-quality landscaping zones, green spaces and public realm to encourage activity and a sense of place across the greater site area have been prioritised throughout the evolution of the design. An intelligent mix of over 35 per cent affordable housing provision, for sale and rental properties along with a new GP surgery, community and café areas and also retail spaces are key components of the vision for the ambitious development.”

The 7-hectare site is bordered by London Road, the East Coast Mainline, South Suburban rail line, Wishaw Terrace, and Marionville Road. It includes the location of the old Meadowbank Stadium, which has been replaced with a modern sports facility featuring a gym, café, and multiple indoor courts and studios.

The development is divided into three plots:

– Plot A will feature 136 flats, 135 square metres of Class 1A/3 space, and 342 cycle spaces.

– Plot B will consist of 292 units (flats and houses), 155 square metres of Class 10 space, 81 square metres of Class 1A/3 space, and 659 cycle parking spaces.

– Plot C will include 277 build-to-rent flats in a seven-storey block, 128 square metres of Class 1A/3 space, and 467 cycle parking spaces.

Affordable housing is set at a minimum of 25% of the total site, but Plots A and Blocks B1 and B2 will offer 237 units, representing 34% of the total.

Buildings will be primarily constructed from buff brick, with upper sections and pitched roofs finished in grey/red metal cladding or concrete tiles. External amenity spaces will include courtyards for block residents, private gardens for houses, a roof terrace for Plot C, and additional private gardens for some ground floor flats. Communal amenities will feature a playpark with an orchard, ‘Turntable Park’ on the site of the former St Margaret’s Locomotive Railway Depot and Works, and the ‘Snakey Path’ at the site’s northeastern boundary.