Edinburgh Council has celebrated a “major” step forward in its plans for a £1.3 billion new city in the north end of the Scottish capital.
The local authority published a proposed application notice for the first phase of the Granton Waterfront scheme.
This represents a key milestone in the process leading to full planning applications for the mammoth regeneration project.
Developed in partnership with Cruden Homes, the first part of the scheme includes more than 700 net zero homes, of which at least 35% will be affordable.
A primary school, commercial units, sustainable transport infrastructure, active travel routes and public and open spaces have also been included in the plan.
Edinburgh Council is running face-to-face consultation events on 13 and 17 June, as well as an online forum on 22 June.
A follow-up session will take place on August 23rd to show how changes have been made in response to the public link.
City of Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said: “Sustainable regeneration like this is so important as we transition to a greener economy in our capital.
“We have a unique opportunity here to build a 20-minute neighborhood completely from scratch with affordable homes, shopping, cultural and leisure facilities and education nearby.”
The council is also progressing plans for a low-carbon heat network for the proposed borough.
A draft energy strategy, published by the Scottish Government in January this year, reiterated the need to transform the country’s energy system to deal with the uncertainties of global market volatility and high energy prices. One way to do this was through “accelerated decarbonisation of domestic industry, transport and heat”, the government noted.