Moda Living has teamed up with Osborne+Co to buy the former Saica factory site in Edinburgh.
The duo want to transform the 15.5-acre site, located at Edinburgh Gateway rail and tram interchange, into a new residential-led urban quarter.
The masterplan, which has the potential to include more than 1,000 homes, will deliver a mix of tenures, workspaces and community amenities, as well as a sustainable neighbourhood public realm and access to a new transport hub.
The homes will aim to include a mix of studio, one- two- and three-bedroom apartments alongside townhouses.
Moda said its vision aligns with the City of Edinburgh Council’s City Plan 2030, which aims to transform the west of the city into a “high-density mixed-use extension… with a focus on placemaking, sustainability, connectivity and biodiversity”.
Pre-application discussions, as well as community engagement and consultations, will begin within the coming months, and the team aims to submit outline planning to the council within the next 12 months.
Oscar Brooks, director at Moda Living, said: “This is a hugely important site for Moda. Working with Osborne, we are excited to deliver a fantastic next-generation neighbourhood that will form the beating heart of west Edinburgh, providing much-needed new homes along with outstanding new public realm and intended connectivity with the transport interchange at Edinburgh Gateway.”
Will Hean, development director at Osborne+Co, said: “The acquisition of the Saica site is an exciting and evolutionary addition to our portfolio, again reinforcing our commitment, strategy and long-term vision in Scotland.”
The development is the third lined up by the joint venture between Moda and Osborne+Co. Outline planning has now been submitted for Lancefield Quay in Glasgow for 730 homes, and last year the JV announced plans to develop a mixed-use campus at Belfast Waterside, with more than 600 residential flats and 1m sq ft of office space.
Saica will be Moda’s second major development site in Edinburgh and fourth in Scotland, making it the country’s largest build-to-rent developer operator.
Savills acted for Saica Packaging in the sale. Ben Brough, Savills’ head of residential development, said: “In a hotly contested disposal process, [Moda and Osborne’s] vision for a truly mixed-use gateway development for Edinburgh was compelling. This new urban quarter will become a residential hub for the west of the city. It is very exciting to see a multi-tenure development, incorporating build-to-rent, come forward at this scale.”
Saica Scotland director, Adam Haycock, said: “When it came to assessing the multiple bids received for this site, Saica selected Moda and Osborne due to the consortium’s commitment to creating a new neighbourhood with appropriate amenities and infrastructure. This is very much in line with our own strategy of building sustainable communities in the places we operate.”
The Spain-based paper and cardboard company will shortly be moving to a new purpose-built facility in Livingston.
To send feedback, e-mail piers.wehner@eg.co.uk or tweet @PiersWehner or @EGPropertyNews
Image © Saica/Savills
View other residential planning applications in Edinburgh on EG Radius >>
