Plans to transform Edinburgh's Gyle Shopping Centre into town centre
The owner wants to completely transform the area - adding homes, offices, & more retail space.
Last updated 7th Jun 2021
Developers are revealing plans to completely transform Edinburgh's Gyle Shopping Centre.
The idea is to create a new town centre - so as well as new retail space, there'll also be housing and offices.
It's a change to previous plans for small extensions and a cinema which were rejected by the city council last year.
The firm behind the proposals is looking for views on the wholesale revamp in an area where up to 18,000 new homes are already planned.
Chris Moore - the managing director at Bankfoot APAM told Forth News: "When the Gyle was built, it was a leading modern shopping destination.
"However, we are now looking at a new normal that is very different for shopping and living.
"The creation of a new urban city district will help transform the visitor experience and bring many more new residents, workers, and customers to the shops and facilities.
"Increasingly people will travel by public transport and the facilities need to reflect that new normal.
"We have seen the changes that the new St James development in the city centre is making to people’s shopping experience and our aim is to deliver better and higher quality shopping, rather than just increasing floorspace.
"We have also studied the quality of the proposals for new homes and offices at the nearby Edinburgh Park.
"Edinburgh is changing, and west Edinburgh is changing faster than almost anywhere in Scotland and our plans must reflect sustainability issues and respond positively to those changes."
The consultation will begin in the coming weeks and continue over the summer.
Consultation with existing shops in the centre has already begun and will run concurrently with the wider public consultation.
A planning application will only be brought forward following the completion of the public consultation and is expected to be submitted in the autumn.