Housebuilders Mactaggart & Mickel have lodged an application for planning permission in principle with Midlothian Council for a mixed use development on the former site of Forrest Furnishings in the Thornybank area of Dalkeith (artists impression available on request)

Proposals for the site include 10.61 acres of residential development, including 25% affordable housing, alongside commercial development including a local food store, small business units and offices. The development will provide local residents with improved safe cycle and pedestrian access through the site as well as potentially offering local schoolchildren a new safer route to school directly through the development.

If approved it is anticipated the project will offer apprenticeship opportunities and support around 50 jobs during the construction phase, with the potential to create as many as 115 permanent jobs in the longer term. Discussions are also ongoing with the Dalkeith School Community Campus at providing educational and skills opportunities for pupils.

The lodging of the application follows over six months of extensive community engagement which has seen meetings with the local residents and interest groups, Dalkeith and District Community Council, local councillors and politicians, local schools and a two-day community engagement event on 3rd and 4th March at Dalkeith Community Centre

Views taken on board through this engagement process have seen Mactaggart & Mickel agree to:

· Restrict the height of buildings on the site to no more than two storeys;

-- Advertisement --

· While requests were made for a larger food store on the site, proposals for the site, undertaken in consultation with Midlothian Council, have been drawn up to meet a strong requirement for local food shopping while not taking custom away from the town centre;

· Linking uses of retail provided in smaller retail units to specific conditions linked to planning consent, addressing local concerns;

· Explore other potential community uses on the site, including providing a place of worship combined with facilities for community use;

· Comprehensive traffic impact assessment being undertaken as a precursor to lodging of detailed planning applications for the site. In this respect it should be noted that the natural flow of traffic from the development is likely to run counter to existing traffic flows in the local area, which are the cause of current congestion;

· In terms of current anti-social behaviour along the current right-of-way adjacent to the development, this is best addressed by ensuring the pathway is significantly overlooked by new housing, thereby acting as a natural deterrent;

· No access will be taken from the B6414 along the eastern frontage of the site, other than access for servicing if that proves to be required;

· The earlier proposed pedestrian link from the B6414 across and into the new Thornybank development will no longer feature as part of the proposals;

Throughout this process what is clear is that there was no desire for industrial development on the site due to the associated disturbance and mix of light and heavy goods traffic in what is a predominantly residential area.

If planning permission in principle is approved by the end of the year it is expected that detailed applications will be brought forward for the various elements of the development, which if approved will see work on the site starting at the beginning of 2012.

The firm has an established track record of delivering high quality residential developments in Midlothian, having recently completed a new 22-unit housing development at Woodlands near Loanhead

Commenting on the lodging of the application, Ken Hopkins, Strategic Land Manager at Mactaggart & Mickel Homes said: “We are delighted to be in a position to be able to lodge our application for planning permission in principle for a mixed use development at Thornybank. The site has now been redundant for a considerable period of time and its regeneration will make a significant positive contribution to the local community and economy.

“While there is a minimum statutory requirement to consult for three months, we have taken more than double this length of time to ensure we garnered all local concerns and endeavoured to address these as best we could. We would like to thank all those who took part in this process, and look forward to working with the local community and key stakeholders further as we bring forward detailed applications.”

(GK)