Wester Hailes masterplan proceeds
As SNP local councillor and city Planning Convener I’m delighted to see this appointment for a community led masterplan team.Having listened to local aspirations, I have driven this process forward with the community, and have had many meetings with council officers to make sure the latest step happens.
The Wester Hailes masterplan links the new school investment, new and upgraded housing, and green spaces and improvements to the centre. There will be opportunities to increase the benefit from the Union Canal. Connectivity in and around Wester Hailes was a key issue identified. Once proposals are developed with the people living there, the masterplan will eventually come to the council’s planning committee for approval.
Across the city there is a welcome move towards localisation. The 20 Minute Neighbourhood means that you have local services nearby. An important step has been to get funding for the new Wester Hailes High School. Having pushed for this along with other education investment in Pentland Hills, I am delighted that this funding application was approved by The Scottish Government. The school investment demonstrates a strong commitment to Wester Hailes and will be a cornerstone for the masterplan.
At neighbourhood level, as housing is upgraded and made energy efficient, the masterplan can look at the spaces between buildings and how these are used. There are already brilliant local initiatives, including the community gardens. A lot more can now be done, it is important that the community continues to be involved in this process. Where the benefits of investment are all pulled together through a masterplan, it provides the opportunity to create a sustainable community, meeting the challenges of the 21st century, with wellbeing of local residents at its heart.
A consultancy team led by Turner & Townsend will implement one of the first Local Place Plans in Scotland since they were introduced in 2019.
Eoghan Howard, Chair of Wester Hailes Community Trust and Leah Black, Chief Executive at WHALE Arts said: “WHALE Arts, Wester Hailes Community Trust and Prospect Housing have been working alongside the council for the last 18 months following a piece of work in 2019/2020 working towards a Local Place Plan.”
The goal has been to ensure that the community-led Local Place Plan will be aligned to the regeneration project so that local views and ideas are at the heart of changes and improvements to the area.” Eoghan Howard