Share Your Views on the Astley Ainslie Place Brief

Front Cover of the draft Astley Ainslie Place Brief, dated September 2026. Image is of a mature tree and grass, with low rise hospital buildings in the background. It has a green/sepia filter over it.

We are asking what your think of our new draft Place Brief for the existing hospital site, which was approved by Planning Committee on 9 September 2026 for consultation.

Our Consultation is now live until 11 November 2026.

The Astley Ainslie has been in hospital use for over 100 years. It was originally a convalescent hospital and at the forefront of medical rehabilitation in Scotland throughout its history with the natural landscape setting important to help recovery. You can find out more about Astley Ainslie Hospital’s history on the NHS website celebrating its centenary in 2023.

The NHS is planning to keep some services on the site including GPs and the SMART Centre but is selling the rest of the site.

City Plan 2030 identifies Astley Ainslie for housing-led mixed-use development. There will be new development on the site, but this will need to respect the mature landscape setting, create a sustainable place and keep its special character.

Astley Ainslee hospital buildings on a sunny day with a variety of trees and grass in the foreground.

Astley Ainslie is well-loved by the surrounding communities with the Astley Ainslie Community Trust working with local residents to produce a Local Place Plan for the site.

The Draft Place Brief brings together that community voice with an assessment of the site and the aspirations of the NHS. It puts forward a set of principles for the future development.

You can read the Astley Ainslie Draft Place Brief and give us your views on the Consultation Hub until 11 November 2026.

Come along and meet the team

There are also drop-in events where you can chat to planning officers on:

  • Monday 5 October 16:30-19:00 at Morningside Library, 184 Morningside Road
  • Saturday 24 October 10:30-13:30 at Newington Library, 17-21 Fountainhall Road

Call for Ideas: Help us shape Edinburgh’s next local development plan

We’re at the very early stages of putting together our next local development plan City Plan 2040.

There is still time to submit your proposals and ideas to help frame the vision, policies and proposals for the Proposed Plan.

Your ideas should focus on the use and development of land and buildings across Edinburgh – this could be proposals for an area of land, site or building, something you want to protect or improve or planning policies you want to change.

You can submit your suggestions via the Council’s Consultation Hub. You can also find out more and what information is required to submit a proposal or idea.

The consultation is open until 30 September 2026 and every idea will be considered.

Revised Gilmerton Conservation Area Character Appraisal Approved

Front cover of the Gilmerton Conservation Area Character Appraisal (June 2026). Image shows a redeveloped historic cottage in Gilmerton on a sunny day.

Planning Committee has approved the revised Gilmerton Conservation Area Character Appraisal (CACA) at its meeting on 17 June 2026.

The newly approved document is now a material consideration in the determination of planning applications within the conservation area. It will also serve as a reference for planning, design and discussions relating to listed buildings and new development in Gilmerton.

You can read the full appraisal here.

Why has the appraisal been updated?

Gilmerton Conservation Area was originally designated in October 1977 in recognition of its rich mining and agricultural heritage, which continues to shape the area’s distinctive street pattern and historic buildings.

The previous Character Appraisal dated back to July 2000. Keeping Character Appraisals up to date is important, not only to ensure planning decisions are based on current evidence, but also because an appraisal that is typically less than five years old is a key requirement when applying for future conservation funding.

Any future funding bids will need to clearly demonstrate how proposed projects align with the findings and recommendations set out in the appraisal.

Opportunities for enhancement

The revised appraisal identifies a number of opportunities to help protect and enhance Gilmerton’s special character.

These include:

  • Greater attention given to encouraging development that reinforce features that give Gilmerton its unique character and history
  • Creating more opportunities for people to stop, rest and enjoy the area’s historic environment
  • Investing in important community assets, including the Category B listed Gilmerton Community Centre, the Society Hall and Gilmerton Library
  • The sympathetic restoration and reopening of Gilmerton Cove, the remarkable underground network of tunnels and chambers as an educational, community and visitor attraction
  • Greater attention to encouraging developments that retain original architectural features wherever possible and that use traditional materials.

City Plan 2040 Update

Public space at a new urban residential development on a sunny day. Tall buildings towards the background overlook benches and seating in the foreground.

City Plan 2040 has taken another important step forward with the Evidence Report now finalised and approved by Planning Committee on 3 June 2026, then agreed at Full Council on 25 June 2026.

The Evidence Report will now be submitted to the Scottish Government for the ‘Gate Check’ stage to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to start to prepare the Proposed Plan.

The Evidence Report contains 26 topic papers on a range of subjects and 17 Place Profiles for the different wards within the city and sets out what needs to be considered for the Proposed Plan.

Call for Ideas

We have launched the ‘Call for Ideas’ and this is an opportunity for you to submit proposals and ideas to help frame the vision, priorities and early proposals for the Proposed Plan.

Your ideas should focus on the use and development of land and buildings across Edinburgh.

The Call for Ideas can only be made via the Council’s Consultation Hub. You can find out more and what information is required to submit a proposal or idea there.

If you would like to receive updates on City Plan 2040, you can join the mailing list by e-mailing us at cityplan2040@edinburgh.gov.uk or follow this blog.

Changes to Planning Fees – 1 April 2026

Aerial view of New Town and Princes Street gardens on a sunny day. Edinburgh Castle sits to the top left.

Today Planning fees increased nationally. To reflect these changes, we have updated our Fees Charter. All planning applications received from today onwards will be charged the new fees.

Since 2025, fees have also been charged for local reviews and appeals against planning decisions. 

Most planning fees are set by the Scottish Government. The relevant legislation is;

  • the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2022 as amended (‘the Application Fees Regulations’)
  • the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Appeals) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 as amended (‘the Appeal Fees Regulations’)
  • the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Local Reviews) (Scotland) Regulations 2025 as amended (‘the Local Review Fees Regulations’).All of which came into effect on 1 April 2026

Further guidance is available in Scottish Government Planning Circular 1/2026

Also on 1 April, some other fees related to Planning & Building Standards are changing, including;

Please refer to planning validation guidelines for information about what to include as part of your submission.