Category: City Plan 2030

Updated City Centre and Town Centre Planning Guidance

Four front covers of Town Centre Guidance documents - Tollcross, Leith, Portobello and Corstorphine. Each cover shows a row of shops with flats above and pavement & road in front.

Following the adoption of the City Plan 2030 our City Centre and Town Centre Planning Guidance has now been updated. 

The updated guidance also takes into account

The eight town centres are

  • Bruntsfield/ Morningside
  • Corstorphine
  • Gorgie/Dalry
  • Leith
  • Nicolson Street/ Clerk Street
  • Portobello
  • Stockbridge
  • Tollcross

The guidance has been informed by a ‘public life street assessments’ carried out in 2016, which explored how town centres should evolve to maximise the potential for benefiting public life and a health check which has considered the centre’s strengths, vitality and viability, weaknesses and resiliencies.

The guidance assists the delivery of NPF4 objectives and policies, in particular to ensure town centres are vibrant, healthy and resilient places for people to work, enjoy and visit.

Town centres are an important focal point for people who live and work in Edinburgh. They provide shopping, leisure and community facilities in locations which are easily accessible by walking, wheeling and cycling or public transport. They also contribute to local living and 20 minute neighbourhoods.

The updated guidance is no longer statutory supplementary guidance, but will remain as planning guidance and a material consideration in the determination of planning applications.

Have your say on new draft planning guidance for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA)

Photograph shows an example of student housing. Modern, new looking two-storey building next to green space and a small tree on a sunny day.

Our consultation is now open for draft planning guidance for purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) in Edinburgh. 

The draft guidance has been prepared to support City Plan 2030 policy dealing with PBSA. It sets out the Council’s expectations and provides guidance for developers and planning officers. It also seeks to ensure the provision of good quality PBSA in appropriate locations whilst protecting the character of existing areas. 

It applies to all types of PBSA developments, including new build, change of use and conversion. To support the health and wellbeing of students, it is essential that they are provided with appropriately located, high quality accommodation. While many students will choose to live in other forms of accommodation, PBSA is a key part of the available accommodation in the city.

We want the guidance to help people understand what we require from the development of PBSA. To do this, we want to make sure the content is clear, helpful, and balanced.

When approved in its final form it will be used by the Council to assess planning applications.

You can read the draft guidance and give us your views in our online survey by Friday 23 May 2025.

Have your say on plans to transform Seafield into a new environmentally friendly neighbourhood

Artists impression of what Seafield could look like in the future. Flats look over the see with a promenade and lots of trees and greenspace.

The City of Edinburgh Council is inviting residents to share their views on the regeneration of Seafield to make sure it responds to the needs and wishes of the local community.

As a key site for delivering the goals set out in the Edinburgh City Plan 2030, plans for the narrow stretch of land include a new promenade, GP surgery and opportunities for new shops and workplaces.

The coastal site could include as many as 2,700 new homes, with 35% of homes being affordable, to address the City’s housing emergency. Future residents will also benefit from the provision of a heat network which will help keep energy bills down whilst contributing to the city’s net zero targets.

The consultation, which closes on 30 April 2025, will build on the first two stages of engagement and consultation carried out to date.

Residents can attend a drop-in session to discuss the plans, or they can take part in an online survey via the Consultation Hub.

 The in-person events will take place on the following dates and times:

  • Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue, EH15 1AU, Saturday 8 March 10:30-13:30
  • Leith Library, 28-30 Ferry Road, EH6 4AE, Friday 21 March 12:30-3:30
  • Craigentinny Community Centre, 9 Loaning Road, EH7 6JE, Saturday 22 March 10:30-13:30

Calling all historic property owner-occupiers!

As part of our efforts to update the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas planning guidance, the City of Edinburgh Council is collaborating with the University of Edinburgh to understand how the guidance can be improved to be more practical and accessible.

The University’s project, Giving Voice to Historic Property Owners, is now recruiting focus group and workshop participants. The project is specifically looking for owner–occupiers (you own the home you are living in) of listed buildings and properties in a conservation area in Edinburgh. 

You can check here to see if your property is listed or in a conservation area.

Focus group participants will receive a £10 e-gift card and in-person workshops will end with a catered lunch.

Learn more and sign up on the project information page.

Have your say on ambitious vision for Edinburgh’s city centre

Map of Edinburgh city centre showing the boundaries of the area the consultation is on. The boundary runs on the North along Rose Street, to the East Calton Road Bridge, to the South Princes Street Gardens and to the West Castle Terrace and Lothian Road.

Residents, businesses and other interested groups in the Capital are being asked to comment on a strategy to revitalise Princes Street and the wider Waverley Valley to create a more vibrant and welcoming city centre.

The new vision will guide the long-term regeneration of this part of the city centre, providing a mix of shops and services for residents and visitors, attracting investment and jobs and supporting businesses within an exceptional historic and climate resilient environment. 

A 12-week consultation on the Council’s draft Princes Street and Waverley Valley Strategy began last week. It aligns with Edinburgh’s Net Zero 2030 ambitions, City Mobility Plan, Edinburgh City Centre Transformation (ECCT) and City Plan 2030.

The Princes Street and Waverley Valley draft strategy is part of bold plans to transform the city centre. The ECCT was approved in 2019 and includes the George Street and First New Town, Meadows to George Street projects.

As well as Princes Street the Waverley Valley area covers East and West Princes Street Gardens, Waverley Station, Waverley Market and East Market Street. 

The draft strategy aims to:

  • People crossing the road and tram lines at a busy crossing point on Princes Street. Buses & shops are in the background.
    Create a more accessible city centre – The masterplan for comment recommends guiding the area from the West End of Princes Street along to Waverley Station to become more accessible, with improvements such as additional ramp access to Princes Street Gardens, a footbridge over the Waverley Valley, more public spaces to enjoy, an improved crossing and pedestrian improvements to Castle Street, the Mound Precinct, and Waverley Bridge.
  • The Ross Fountain on a bright, sunny day. Plants and greenspace surround the fountain. Trees are in the background and a silhouette of Edinburgh Castle sits above.
    Protect green spaces – The strategy looks to integrate climate resilience and biodiversity measures to protect the existing Waverley Valley and Gardens from climate change and to plant more trees and flowers – also promoting sustainable transport options and the retrofitting of historic buildings in line with Edinburgh’s net zero aims.
  • Wide view of Princess Street on a busy day. People fill the pavement and buses are lined up on the road. To the right of the image is Princes Street's mix of architecture and rooftops.
    Revitalise Princes Street – Working with developers, the strategy suggests improvements to Princes Street with temporary pop-up premises, building wraps and artwork and encourages mixed-uses for the prominent high street. Improvements to historic buildings, including the Ross Bandstand, are also suggested to create better opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy the area.
  • View of train tracks leading to Waverly Station, with new buildings along the edge of the tracks. In the background is a car park and the edge of Old Town and North Bridge.
    Make improvements to Waverley Station – Shape the future of Waverley Station and the area around it. Its key position between the Old and New Towns makes the station a vital connection between the Old and New Towns. Network Rail’s Waverley Masterplan recognises the need to restore and modernise the station.

Complete the survey by 21 Feb 2025 to have your say on ambitious vision for Edinburgh’s city centre.