Airport to replace runway with ‘mini city’

EDINBURGH Airport is to sacrifice its secondary runway to build a massive business and housing complex which could span more than 100 acres.

Offices, homes and industrial buildings would stretch from the south-east of the passenger terminal to almost two miles down the road.

The airport said it was too early to say how much it would cost but bosses are hopeful that construction can start as early as next year. A new terminal access road would be included.

Previous plans for adjacent development south of the airport tried to attract major companies but failed because of the lack of key infrastructure. The proposed new site will occupy much of the Crosswind runway, which the airport said was rarely used.

It runs south east to north west and can not be used at the same time as the nearby main south-west to north-east runway. But the Crosswind is used during runway maintenance and resurfacing.

Land for a planned second runway, which is expected to be needed around 2050, has been reserved to the north of the main runway, parallel to it.

Edinburgh Airport chief executive Gordon Dewar said he was optimistic that the first steps towards the new complex will be taken in 2018. He added: ‘It will make it harder to avoid disruption, but we believe we have solutions that will address it.

‘Our ambition is not to generate a large amount of extra traffic.

‘This is a really exciting proposal for what would be one of the best-connected sites by public transport in Scotland.

‘There will be a real array of development on what is a very big site.’

Mr Dewar said details of the plan, which could be extended from 86 to 111 acres, were still being devised. He expected it to include ‘high-end’ offices, light industrial units and warehouses for companies flying goods in and out. He said a ‘relatively modest’ amount of housing would be included, likely to be flats aimed at ‘young professionals’, some of which might be on the upper floors of commercial buildings.

City council leader Adam McVey declined to comment specifically on the Crosswind proposals, but said attracting investment was a priority for the council.

It also emerged yesterday that passengers flying to America from Edinburgh could be able to clear US immigration before they take off. The airport is in talks to host armed American immigration officers to help speed up customs queues which passengers face on arrival in the States.