Hundreds of new homes could be built in north west Penicuik, if plans are approved in the new year.
A consortium comprised of luxury home builder Cala Homes, MacTaggart & Mickel and Bett Homes, will bring forward reworked plans for land north of Deanburn and Rullion Road in the first few months of 2016.
The submission, which was expected by the end of 2015 but has subsequently been delayed, paves the way for hundreds of new houses and flats to be constructed. Exact numbers have not been confirmed but it is believed up to 600 homes could be erected across the fields.
These housing plans are anticipated, and have been since the council allocated the land in their 2003 Local Development Plan. Following the allocation Cala Homes sought permission to build to the east of Deanburn, though this application lapsed after a sustained period of inactivity.
Over a decade after initial plans were drawn up, the consortium intends to create a development around a new link route connecting Mauricewood Road to Rullion Road. Spanning off this will be numerous different groupings of housing types and styles from the affordable to the more high end. New public facilities may also accompany the application.
However the council have noted their dissatisfaction with developers for not utilising allocations to submit “minded to grant” applications in Penicuik, which are almost certain to be approved due to the preassigned quotas by the government. Those that do submit though, are not guaranteed a quick approval. It has been nearly four years Taylor Wimpey gained permission, subject to legal terms, for their new Greenlaw Mill development north of Greenlaw Mains in the town. These legal conditions have locked the council and developer in lengthy section 75 talks to agree upon the developer’s contributions to the local economy, infrastructure and social housing provision. The latest update from Wimpey told us that there has been no notable move towards a resolution, allowing construction to begin of 458 new homes.
Whilst we await news on additional new developments, it is clear that even with permission, the delivery of the promised homes is far from guaranteed.
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