The public will not be able to view or comment on planning applications during this time. Planning applications that are open for comment during the upgrade will have three additional days added.
The upgrade will allow for improvements to the mapping function and a number of improvements to help process applications as quickly and efficiently as we can.
Planning and Building Warrant applications can continue to be made online through eDevelopment.
The weekly list of planning applications will be issued as normal and the weekly planning advert in the Edinburgh Evening News will appear as normal on the Friday.
You can keep up to date with planning by following us on BlueSky, Instagram or subscribing to this blog.
With partners, the Council has prepared a Draft Air Quality Action Plan that aims to reduce Particulate Matter (PM10) pollution in the Salamander Street Air Quality Management Area (AQMA), Leith.
The plan outlines how air quality issues will be tackled, to meet and sustain statutory air quality objectives, under four themes:
Industrial
Roads and Transport
Development Management
Information to the Public
Emissions from industry, transport and fugitive sources, including port activities and construction sites, will be addressed.
The Council’s priorities and drivers for pursuing actions to improve air quality are based on public health principles. Air pollution is associated with many adverse health impacts. It is recognised as a contributing factor in the onset of lung and heart disease, as well as cancer, and evidence is growing in respect to links between air pollution and a decline in mental ability and dementia.
Additionally, air pollution particularly affects the most vulnerable in society: children and older people, and those with pre-existing health conditions. The annual health cost to society of the impacts of particulate matter alone in the UK is estimated to be around £16 billion.
Polar Plots of PM10 Data at Tower Street in 2024
City Plan 2030 highlights Edinburgh Waterfront area as an opportunity for large scale mixed-use regeneration to help meet the city’s growth needs, particularly for new housing. The City Plan identifies areas for housing-led mixed-use development sites in various ownerships in the Salamander Street AQMA. Some of this land was previously allocated for industry. Other parts of the Port of Leith will continue as industry and the future focus is on the development of Low Carbon / Renewables Enterprise Areas and industry as part of the Green Freeport.
Introducing sensitive uses such as residential properties into an area of poor air quality requires to be undertaken carefully with the appropriate consideration of pollution exposure, potential mitigation and programming of development.
Dust and PM10 emissions from demolition and construction can also be a source of pollution especially for existing residential properties. Such emissions occur during the preparation of the land e.g. demolition, land clearing, and earth moving, and during construction, with a proportion from site plant and road vehicles moving over temporary roads and open ground. If mud is allowed to get onto local roads, dust emissions can occur at some distance from the originating site.
Using the Scottish Government’s R-OpenAir analysis tool, with locally collected pollution data and meteorological data we have been able to show (in the Polar Plots below) that high concentrations of PM10 were associated with known demolition and construction works in 2024.
Developers and landowners need to work together, with the local community and the Council to help reduce this local impact. Control measures such as reducing deliveries by road, vehicle wheel washing, road sweeping/washing, and the use of dust suppressants would all be relevant in addition to general on-site management, mitigation and good practice.
The Council wants to engage with businesses operating in the area or those with interests in the land. One of the actions of the Draft Action Plan is to set up a forum with the Council, housing developers, landowners, businesses and community groups to address the cumulative impact of development on environmental protection matters.
In the meantime, however, we want to hear your views about all the actions in the Plan.
Get in touch by email spatial.policy@edinburgh.gov.uk or via post to the City of Edinburgh Council, Level G.4, Waverley Court, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh, EH8 8BG.
If you require a different format or translation, please also get in touch.
The consultation is seeking views on the Draft Action Plan by 7th September 2025. Thereafter your participation in the local forum would also be welcome.
We are pleased that we have registered our second Local Place Plan which covers Midmar Paddock which was submitted by the Friends of Midmar Paddock.
You can see the Midmar Paddock Local Place Plan and the Wester Hailes Local Place Plan on our Register.
Midmar Paddock from Blackford Hill (Photo by Friends of Midmar Paddock)
There are many other Local Place Plans in progress throughout the City. However, there is still time for community groups to produce Local Place Plans. Our deadline to register a Local Place Plan is June 2026.
Local Place Plans are community-led plans which outline a community’s vision and proposals for their area. Registered Local Place Plans will be taken into account when we prepare City Plan 2040.
There is more information on our webpages but if you are interested in producing a Local Place Plans, you should contact us via cityplan2040@edinburgh.gov.uk and we would be happy to have chat with you.
This fantastic accolade highlights the exceptional efforts of everyone in the service and celebrates their commitment to enhancing our community and making Edinburgh a wonderful place to live.
Additionally, Rowanbank Gardens, a housing development in Corstorphine, received a commendation in the Best Project category. It’s brilliant to see this project recognised for its quality and positive impact on the community, reinforcing our mission to create inclusive and vibrant neighbourhoods.
The crowning achievement was when the Edinburgh Futures Institute was named the overall winner. This remarkable project, which saw the transformation of the former Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Quartermile, demonstrates the qualities of good planning and working in partnership. It’s not just about the buildings; it’s about how we design spaces that uplift and engage our community.
These awards remind us that skilled planners and all those involved in the planning process are key to delivering these successful projects, and their hard work genuinely makes a difference in our daily lives.
As we look forward to the national RTPI awards in London later this year, we couldn’t be prouder of what the team has achieved.
In addition to these exciting achievements, we’re also celebrating our Building Standards team, who recently won the Local Authority Building Standards Scotland Awardsfor Customer Focus. This recognition underscores our ongoing commitment to excellence at the City of Edinburgh Council.
This week, Planning fees increased nationally. To reflect these changes, we have updated our Fees Charter.
All planning applications received from 9 June 2025 onwards will be charged the new fees.
Fees are also being introducing for local reviews and appeals against planning decisions. All local reviews and DPEA appeals received from 9 June 2025 onwards will be subject to a fee.
An application for a local review is not valid until the full required fee has been paid. Appellants must ensure the application for review AND the correct fee is submitted WITHIN three months from the planning application Decision Notice, otherwise the appellant will forfeit their right to appeal. Appellants are advised to submit their application for local review well within the three month time period to allow for checking of the validity of their review, including the fee.
Further guidance is available in Scottish Government Planning Circulars 2/2025 and 3/2025.
Planning Edinburgh 
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