South Gilmerton

OPEN was commissioned by Mactaggart & Mickel to progress masterplan proposals for a sensitive site on 37 hectares of land at South Gilmerton, Edinburgh. Originally allocated for a smaller site, OPEN built a case for increased expansion based on robust grounds of good masterplanning principles, contextual analysis, and landscape capacity. A successful Planning Permission in Principle application was granted in 2016.

In addition to OPEN’s masterplanning input, we were also engaged for consultation and for Landscape and Visual Appraisal work which was key to securing the boundaries and densities that were finalised within the application. These were also important in being persuasive with the Council in the merits of the scheme: landscape impact of development on the views across the city from the bypass and the Pentland Hills was a major obstacle to granting consent; the site went to appeal on grounds of landscape impact but was successfully contested.

The site is currently under construction.

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