AlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

Contents

Introduction

Effectofactionsonaccesstolocalgreenspace

Currentaccesstolargegreenspace

Effectofactionsonaccesstolargegreenspace

Accesstoplayspace

Maps
Currentaccesstolocalgreenspace

InternationalBusinessGateway

RiverAlmondWalkway

PortEdgar

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SilverknowesFarmland

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DavidsonsMainsPark

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GreenNetworkActions

StrategicActions
RathoStationPark
AllotmentsActions

BurgessRoad,SouthQueensferry

AlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

Introduction
Thisplanisoneof12actionplanswhichsupporttheOpenSpaceStrategy
andshouldbereadalongsidethemaindocument.Thisisavailablefrom
www.edinburgh.gov.uk/openspacestrategy The Strategy sets standards
for different types of open space, estimates needs for certain types of
openspaceandproposessiteswhichcouldhelpaddressthoseneeds.
ThisActionPlansetsoutdetailsofactionswithinAlmondNeighbourhood
Partnershipareawhichwillhelptoaddressthoseneeds.

Actions will be carried out by the Council and developers. The actions
represent medium and longer term aspirations. Progress will be
dependant on the rate at which development proposals come forward
and are approved and implemented and the availability of Council
resourcestoinvestinopenspace.
The strategy and action plans will be reviewed and updated every five
years.

ThecentralareaaroundCramondisdominatedbygolfcourseswhichare
notclassifiedasaccessible,resultinginlowaccessibilityforsomeareas.
Actionsproposedinthisplanwillnotimpactonthenumberofdwellings
that meet the standards set out in the Open Space Strategy. The plan
contains actions to improve the green network and proposes sites for
potentialallotmentuse.

StrategicActionsAlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

InternationalBusinessGateway

foralandscapeframeworkandopenspacenetworkforrecreation,active
travel and biodiversity purposes and to create an attractive setting for
development.

Figure5KeyLandscapeandpublicrealmdesign(fromWESDF)

Description: Scottish Planning Policy (West Edinburgh Planning

Framework 2008) identifies this site for the development of an
International Business Gateway (IBG). A strategic design framework
(WESDF) has been approved by the Council which sets out design
principles to guide the development of the IBG. The WESDF aims to
create multi functional, strategic green spaces and corridors which
provideasettingfordevelopment,canbeusedforrecreationandactive
travel and create habitat for wildlife. Masterplans and development
proposals should accord with the principles set out in the WESDF.
PrinciplessetoutfortheIBGstatethatearlyprovisionshouldbemade

Timescale: Development will come forward in a phased manner over a

longperiodoftime.
Lead:Developer
FundingSource&Cost:Developer;4,000,000
ReferenceDocuments:WestEdinburghStrategicDesignFramework,CEC
2010;WestEdinburghPlanningFramework2008(ScottishGovernment).

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RiverAlmondWalkway

Theproposedactionistoupgradeexistingsectionsoftheriversidepath
tolinkwithfutureaccesspotential.
Timescale:2015
Lead:CEC,ServicesforCommunities
FundingSource&Cost:CEC,ServicesforCommunities;150,000.
ReferenceDocuments:CorePathPlan,CEC;AccessStrategy,CEC

Description: This route follows long stretches of the River Almond from
itsintersectionwiththecityboundarytothesea.Atpresenttherouteis
notcomplete.

SectionsinEdinburghsareawhicharecurrentlyusablearedesignatedas
Core Paths. Development of the missing sections is a longer term
proposition which will be dependant on detailed negotiation, site
investigation and funding. Within the Core Path Plan they have been
identifiedasalongertermopportunity.

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PortEdgar

FundingSource&Cost:DeveloperFunded
ReferenceDocuments:PortEdgarDevelopmentBrief2008,CEC.

Description: The Port Edgar site is identified as a housing/economic

developmentproposalintheRuralWestEdinburghLocalPlan2006.The
proposalisforamarina,relatedbusinessesandhousing.Adevelopment
briefforPortEdgarwasapprovedbytheCouncilinSeptember2008.This
states that development should provide an area of open space to the
southofthebay(ref3onmap)andconsiderationshouldbegiventothe
possibilityofprovidingaccesstotheopenspacefromexistingresidential
areas to the south. The provision of this open space is subject to the
redevelopmentofthisarea.
Timescale:Dependantondeveloper
Lead:Developer

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make further improvements in the future should development come

forwardinthewiderarea.

RathoStationPark

Description: Raise Park Quality Assessment (PQA) grade from fair to

good.
RathoStationParkismanagedbytheCouncilasaCommunityPark.PQA
isagradinggiventoCouncilparksfollowingassessmentagainstanumber
of criteria. The assessment is carried out annually. The Open Space
strategy uses 2009 PQA grades as the basis for identification of actions.
At 2009 the park was assessed as fair. The most recent assessment
carriedoutin2010resultedinaPQAscoreofgood.

The quality of the park will continue to be the subject of annual

assessmentaspartoftheoverallPQAprocess.Theremaybescopeto

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AllotmentsActionsAlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

SilverknowesFarmland

The site is currently farmland located within the Green Belt in Council
ownership.Duetoitsfarmlanduseithasnotbeenincludedintheopen
spaceauditthereforedevelopmentasallotmentswouldhavenoimpact
ontheopenspacestandardssetoutinthestrategy.
There are environmental designations which cover the site which will
require to be taken into consideration: Greenbelt, Area of Great
LandscapeValueandLocalNatureConservationSite.Thesitealsoforms
partofthesettingofalistedbuilding(LauristonCastle).

Timescales:Theallotmentstrategyaimstocreateoneallotmentsiteper
yearoverthenextfiveyears.

Fundingsourceandcost:CEC,ServicesforCommunities;350,000
Lead:CEC,ServicesforCommunities

Area:16.02Ha

Referencedocuments:CultivatingCommunities:AGrowingChallenge
AnallotmentsstrategyfortheCityofEdinburgh20102015

PotentialPlots:Tobeestablishedfollowingcommunityconsultation

Description: The entire site has the potential to provide 559 allotment
plots. The proposed action is to carry out further community
consultation for allotments at a much smaller scale. Community
consultationwillbeundertaken,inpartnershipwithlocalNeighbourhood
teamstolookatthesiteindetail.Thiswillhelpshapethedesignofthe
allotmentsite,assessinglocalissuessuchasrequirementsforcarparking
anddesiresforcommunalgrowingandtheresourceimplications.

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AllotmentsActionsAlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

DavidsonsMainsPark

Thereareenvironmental designations which coverthesitewhichwould

require to be taken into consideration if the site were to be taken
forward in the future for allotment development: Greenbelt, Area of
GreatLandscapeValueandLocalNatureConservationSite.

Timescales:Longertermproposal
Fundingsourceandcost:tobeidentified
Lead:CEC,ServicesforCommunities
Referencedocuments:CultivatingCommunities:AGrowingChallenge
AnallotmentsstrategyfortheCityofEdinburgh20102015

Area:0.65Ha
PotentialPlots:35

Description:Thesiteisidentifiedwithintheallotmentstrategyaspartof
a long list of sites with potential for allotment development. An
allotmentsiteisnottobepursuedatthistime,howeverthesitehasnot
been ruled out for future allotment development. The loss of this area
from accessible open space would have no impact on the open space
standardsassetoutinthestrategy.

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AllotmentsActionsAlmondNPOpenSpaceActionPlan

September2010

BurgessRoad,SouthQueensferry

Lead:CEC,ServicesforCommunities
Referencedocuments:Referencedocuments:CultivatingCommunities:
A Growing Challenge An allotments strategy for the City of Edinburgh
20102015

Area:0.06Ha
Description: This site has been taken forward by the community as a
communitygrowingproject.Consultationiscurrentlyunderway.Thesite
wasnotidentifiedasaccessibleopenspaceintheauditof2009therefore
ituseforfoodgrowinghasnoimpactonopenspacestandardssetoutin
thestrategy.

Timescales:Consultationiscurrentlyunderway
Fundingsourceandcost:CEC,ServicesforCommunities;100,000

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