RESIDENTS and businesses close to a proposed new development straddling the border between Midlothian and East Lothian are being invited to learn about plans for up to 800 new homes.
CALA Homes (East) hopes to create a new community at a 70 hectare site close to the A720 City Bypass, currently occupied by Newton Farm and Wellington Farms.
The house builder will hold two public exhibitions where local people can find out more about the proposals, which would help ease a lack of family homes in the area and could also deliver a new park and ride facility with access from the A68/A702 City bypass.
Derek Lawson, land director with CALA Homes (East), said: “We have developed some initial thoughts, and we are keen learn the local views and opinion, and encourage as many people as possible to visit the exhibitions.
“It is their chance to shape and influence how the final plans will look prior to the lodging of planning applications later this year.”
Although in the very early stages, CALA’s plans for the site would see buildings around Newton Farm retained with development setback as open space.
Neighbouring Wellington Farm would be redeveloped, with the development offering a range of different-sized family homes.
The creation of a park and ride facility, which forms part of a wider transportation strategy, is also proposed. The development could also include a mixed use local neighbourhood while another important aspect would be the creation of a new road link with the A68/City Bypass junction, permitting direct access from Millerhill and Old Craighall to nearby facilities in Dalkeith via the A68.
Derek Lawson added: “The Newton and Wellington Farms site is in a strategically important location, close to both existing and planned transport connections including the Waverley Line. Our proposals are aimed at building upon the sustainable location and helping to meet the planned housing need identified by the South East Scotland Strategic Plan.
“The site has been identified by Midlothian Council as preferred for such purposes, and we are keen to move this project forward to ensure that the local housing targets can be met.”
CALA Homes, the UK’s most upmarket major homebuilder, is headquartered in Scotland and employs more than 600 people.
Its reputation was earned on the high quality of the homes it builds in developments which are sensitively designed to augment the areas in which they are located. The result is that its homes are not only highly sought after, but retain their value over decades and earn loyalty from owners, who often live in a series of CALA properties.
During the exhibitions members of the public will be encouraged to fill out detailed feedback forms to help CALA further shape its plans before submitting the finalised proposals for planning permission in principle towards at the end of the year.
The first exhibition is on Friday, August 29 from 2-8pm at Danderhall Miners Club, 88 Edmonstone Road, Danderhall, EH22 1QU. Another will be held from 2-8pm on Wednesday, September 3 at The Musselburgh Golf Club, Monktonhall, EH21 6SA.
At both events planning experts from the CALA Homes team will be on hand to answer queries from local residents in relation to the site. For more information visit http://www.cala.co.uk/.
Ends
Notes to Editor – CALA Homes
At the end of March 2014, CALA acquired Banner Homes, a leading developer and retailer of luxury new homes in the affluent markets of the Midlands and the South East of England. The combined company will be a Top 10 UK home builder building predominantly family homes in premium locations in the South of England, the Midlands and Scotland.
Key Facts:
- In March 2013, CALA announced that it had reached an agreement with Patron Capital Partners, the private equity group, and Legal & General Group, the insurance, savings and investment management company, under which they acquired the CALA Group, valuing the company at £214.2m.
- In its full year results for the year ending 30th June 2013, CALA announced record profits of £12.5m (2012: £9.1m) on a like-for-like basis driven by improved house sales gross margin of 18.8 per cent (2012: 16.4 per cent).
- CALA’s average selling price (ASP), as at 31 January 2014, was £361,000 – the highest ASP outside London of any housebuilder in the top 20 by volume, thanks to the Group’s market positioning and geographic presence in more affluent areas of the UK.
- As at 31st January 2014, CALA’s land bank stood at 10,770 plots with a potential gross development value of £3.6bn, equivalent to approximately 6.5 years’ output on current projections.
- CALA Homes won Housebuilder of the Year, Best Medium Housebuilder and Best House at the 2012 What House? Awards. In 2013, it retained the Gold award for Best Medium Housebuilder and won Best Development for Trinity Park in Edinburgh.
- In March 2014, CALA Homes received the maximum 5 Star rating in the Home Builder Federation’s National New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey for the fifth consecutive year.
- Health and safety is of paramount importance to CALA. In 2013, the company maintained its low number of minor injuries reportable under RIDDOR recording six and has reported no major injuries in the last five years. Over the course of the last five years CALA has had the lowest average annual incidence rate of any housebuilder in the HBF benchmark of companies.
- CALA started as the City of Aberdeen Land Association in 1875 and was the first Scottish company listed on the London Stock Market. As CALA is an acronym it is always reproduced in upper case.
For further information visit www.cala.co.uk.
Issued on behalf of CALA Homes (East) by Holyrood Partnership. Further information on 0131 561 2244 or info@holyroodpr.co.uk
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Contact: Linsay Robertson
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