The Council will be hosting a number of consultation events to allow the public, local interest groups and stakeholders express their ideas about the area and its redevelopment.

NHS Lothian is proposing to dispose of Astley Ainslie in 2025. The site is still partially in clinical related use, although it is gradually being wound down. The disposal presents an opportunity for NHS Lothian to knit this large site into the fabric of the surrounding area. This consultation will inform NHS Lothian’s strategic work to secure a long term viable future use for the site.

Why We Are Consulting

Early discussions with Planning have led to the decision to prepare a Place Brief for the area, in full consultation with local residents and stakeholders.

The Astley Ainslie Community Trust organised several community events earlier this year to inform local people about the site’s disposal. Local people were asked what they liked about the site and how the site should be used in the future. There were some really good ideas and the Council is now building on this information through the use of the place standard tool to find out how the redevelopment of the Astley Ainslie area may add value to the future of the wider area. The Council will use this information to inform the preparation of a Place Brief.

A Place Brief is non statutory guidance which sets out a series of high level principles to influence the design of development proposals. These principles are based on community priorities and council requirements for this part of the city.

This consultation is to get your views on the future redevelopment of the Astley Ainslie site in order to help shape the Place Brief.

The Place Brief will consider the following opportunities for the Astley Ainslie site;

Housing – provision of affordable and mixed tenure housing

Routes – providing new people, cycle and vehicle connections throughout the area.

Listed buildings – consider how to protect and enhance various listed buildings through securing a viable long term use of the structures.

Green spaces – look at the opportunities to create, enhance and improve green spaces in the area.

Other uses – consider what and where other new uses would be appropriate.

This programme of non-statutory consultation will continue until mid-September 2019, culminating in the preparation of a Place Brief that will set agreed uses and design parameters for the development.

In the future there will be opportunities to make further comments as part of statutory consultation linked to formal planning application processes.