By Ian McConnell

A £500 million housing development in West Edinburgh has secured final approval from the Scottish Government.

Murray Estates said today it was "pleased" to have secured approval after a "long and comprehensive" planning process for the development, which includes associated insfrastructure.

The first phase of the Edinburgh Garden District – Redheughs Village – is set to deliver 1,350 homes of various types and tenures, including more than 330 new affordable properties, as well as funding for a new primary school and nursery that Murray Estates says "will ensure places for all children on site".

The development, to the south-west of the Gogar roundabout, will also deliver a new neighbourhood centre, convenience retailing, local road improvements, and a 40-acre park.

Redheughs Village will be served by public transport, with five trams stops in close proximity and easy access to the Edinburgh Gateway and Edinburgh Park train stations. Existing bus routes will be extended to serve the site and provide links to existing employment and retail areas.

Murray Estates noted the project has been in the planning process since 2015.

It said: "It was approved by the City of Edinburgh Council in June 2016 before being called in by the Scottish Government. The reporter recommended that planning permission in principle be granted and this was ratified by Scottish ministers in April 2020. Following the agreement of a Section 75 with the City of Edinburgh Council, Murray Estates was then asked by the Scottish Government to engage in a further procedure in October 2021 to retrospectively review any impacts of the recently published proposed local development plan on its earlier decision. That process is now complete and planning permission has been granted with no further conditions."

David Murray, managing director of Murray Capital, the parent company of Murray Estates, said: “We are pleased to have received final approval from the Scottish Government for the first phase of the Garden District after a long and comprehensive planning application process.

“The demand for sustainably-built family homes in close proximity to the capital is acute, and we look forward to commencing the work that will deliver 1,350 much-needed houses, supporting infrastructure and civic amenity.”