Portobello Community Council objects to the release of Greenbelt at Brunstane for housing.  Having consulted with the community we have ascertained a range of views and whilst there is some support for the proposals, there appears to be a significantly greater body of opinion opposed. The attached document “PCC ELDP2 Consultation Summary” summarises the consultation carried out, with 80% of the responses being against or strongly against.

Amongst reasons in support of the proposals the most commonly cited were the need for more housing and affordable housing locally, as well as improvements to the local footpath/cyclepath network.  The desirability of more housing and affordable housing were also often cited by people who objected to the proposals, but the prevailing view seems to be that potentially benefits are outweighed by negative aspects, the most commonly cited objections being: loss of Greenbelt, traffic impact, over-development, and the strain on local services.

As a Community Council we broadly share these concerns, in particular the effects on local infrastructure.  Whilst we would, in particular, welcome more affordable housing locally, we feel the proposals at Brunstane would have a serious adverse effect on the surrounding area and would question whether the proposals were viable.  Up to 1,330 homes would be a very significant development, and when taken with the adjacent housing allocations HSG 26 Newcraighall North and HSG 27 Newcraighall East, could see up to 1,920 homes built in the area, without the infrastructure capacity to cope.

The Brunstane site is effectively landlocked and the proposed access from the north, alongside the cemetery, is inadequate to serve such a volume of housing. Access from the south is taken from a road that will also need to cope with the impacts of HSG 26 and HSG 27. The traffic impact on Newcraighall Road and Milton Road East would be extremely severe, and whilst there are good bus and rail links in the surrounding area, actually connecting the site into those networks would be extremely difficult given the physical constraints of the site.

Whilst we recognise some potential benefits of the proposals, we feel they are far outweighed by potential negative impacts.  We are concerned that the physical constraints of the site have not be adequately addressed, that it would be extremely difficult to integrate the site into the surrounding area, and that the impacts on the local traffic network and the amenity of local residents would be severe.  For these reasons we would like to see Brunstane Farm site (HSG 29) removed from the City of Edinburgh Council’s Second Proposed Plan (ELDP2).