Former Gasworks Site

As part of the long-term vision of a ten-mile promenade along the Firth of Forth between Cramond and Joppa, it has been proposed that sand should be dredged from the Firth of Forth to create a new beach.

A new sea wall, a full width seafront promenade, access points between Granton and Newhaven and a tramway reservation are also proposed.

This project has been discussed between Forth Ports Authority, the principal land owner and the City of Edinburgh Council, but this is likely to be a 15-year project.

Leith Docks

30-year plan

Forth Ports has submitted a 30-year plan for the regeneration of Leith Docks to the City of Edinburgh Council for outline planning permission.  It is the largest planning application ever to have come before the council.  It proposes creating on their 144 hectare site:

-  16,000  homes (including 4,000 'affordable units') in 9 'urban villages'.

-  shops, leisure facilities and a major new concert hall.

-  12,000 new jobs.

Forth Ports' proposals have been welcomed by the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce and business leaders.  Independent assessors have estimated that the proposed developments at Western Harbour and Granton will attract £5.6 billion of private investment.

Local organisations, politicians and others have stressed the importance of maintaining a sense of community in Leith.  The large number of one and two bedroom apartments now being created there could lead to a very transient population.

Other Developments

Other developments that have been considered include:

-   doubling the size of Ocean Terminal shopping centre.

 - creating a cruise liner terminal to attract 150 ships a year to Edinburgh.  In 2007, about 50 ships visited Edinburgh

-  building a 30-storey hotel and flats complex.  This would become the tallest building in Edinburgh.

-  creating a 12-metre high steel  "crow's nest viewing platform", inspired by Leith's shipbuilding history, beside Albert Dock.  This would cost up to £250,000.

Visitors would be able to climb onto the structure to gain views of Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth.  It would also have information panels about the history of Leith and future plans for Edinburgh's Waterfront.

Edinburgh Evening News  September 4, 2007  pp.1, 12, 13

Edinburgh Evening News  September 5, 2007  pp.22, 23

Edinburgh Evening News  August 30,, 2007: p.7 (The "Crow's Nest")

Around Ocean Terminal

10-year plan

Further details of Forth Ports' plans for for development of the area around Ocean Terminal, over the next ten years, have now been announced.  A detailed outline planning application to be submitted ot the council in spring 2008.

Proposals include:

-  creating a 'leisure village' and a new marina, and possibly moving The Royal Yacht Britannia across Western Harbour to berth beside a new pier to the west of where  the cruise liners now berth.

Liners up to 50,000 tonnes would continue to berth at Western Harbour and larger liners would berth at a new liner terminal.

-   creating two new public parks and a public square.

-   building two 'towering new landmarks' expected to house hotels, luxury flats and up to 1000 new homes.  These would be built on new piers in Western Harbour.

-   building new apartments, some on stilts above the water on the northern edge of Victoria Dock.  The Scottish Government 's headquarters are on the southern edge of Victoria Dock.

-  creating a new commercial district with office blocks, shops and walkways, between Ocean Terminal and The Scottish Government's headquarters.

In March 2005, architects RMJM announced plans to build an 'Eco-Tower' with energy created from 50 wind turbines slung between two towers, on the site of William Waugh's scrap yard in West Granton Road, on the western side of Granton Square.

It has been argued that this site, close to the entrance to Granton Harbour should be used for a landmark building of some sort.

However plans for the Eco-Tower are not now to go ahead and it has been announced that, instead, 143 "low cost" flats are to be built on the site.