THE SITE of a former car garage could be transformed into a residential development as part of a regeneration drive in Edinburgh.
Formerly the home of Vauxhall on Seafield Road, developers hope these plans, which were jointly submitted for planning permission, will act as a catalyst for further investment into the area.
This would include up to 220 new homes, including affordable housing, should the application be approved and current car showrooms relocated in time for a proposed start date next year.
Edinburgh City Council recently identified Seafield as a potentially substantial new urban residential quarter in its Proposed City Plan 2030.
The area has become known as the capital’s prime location for car dealerships, with Arnold Clark, Peter Vardy and Macklin Motors all having showrooms situated on Seafield Road.
Following a consultation in February of last year, developers Manse and J. Smart & Co say they have incorporated the feedback they have heard into the emerging proposals.
They also describe the series of pre-application meetings held as “positive”, corresponding with City Council officials about planning, highways, flooding, the environment and landscaping.
Colin MacPherson, Development Director of Manse, commented: “We are delighted to be bringing forward this planning application for Seafield. It will serve to act as a much-needed catalyst, meeting Council aspirations for the overall regeneration of the area and its desire for residential development on brownfield sites to meet the city’s housing needs.”