Hundreds of new homes and public square proposed for site of former Edinburgh brewery

Hundreds of homes have been proposed as part of a new Edinburgh “village” on the site of a renowned former brewery.

Cruden Homes claims the plans for the vacant lot by the Union Canal would help “transform” the Fountainbridge area after unveiling renders for the location.

Initial blueprints for the extension of the nearby Boroughmuir High School and 430 houses in a variety of layouts were agreed with City of Edinburgh Council planners in 2016.

The revised plans now call for 464 homes organised in an array of seven and eight-storey buildings, with commercial space and smaller residential dwellings.

Former owners Scottish and Newcastle announced the closure and subsequent demolition of the brewery, which produced the likes of McEwan’s and Younger’s, in 2004.

Around 150 of the newly-proposed homes will be reserved for “affordable housing,” according to developers.

The plans also feature the creation of a new public square with community space near the historic Leamington Lift Bridge.

An online consultation on the plans takes place on Thursday, June 30.

A planning brief states: “The proposals presented here represent a fresh evolution of the Fountainbridge Masterplan, incorporating Greener Public Spaces.

“These proposals will create a new active and vibrant public space along the Fountainbridge Canalside, with commercial frontages along a widened towpath public realm.

“The canal towpath comprises three zones of activity: a retail zone along the building frontage for cafes/bars/active frontages, a circulation zone in the middle incorporating space for cyclists and an activity zone at the canal edge.”

A full planning application is expected to submitted by the end of next month.