Brighouse Development

 CRAMOND CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS

Background

The former Cramond and Barnton Community Council and now CBCCC have been involved in assessing proposals, leading consultations and making submissions on planning proposals in respect of AMA’s development of the former Cramond Campus site since the late 1990s. 

While the original housing development (Brighouse estate) on the northern section of the former Moray House Institute of Education’s Cramond Campus site was completed in the early 2000s, AMA has consistently failed to comply with planning conditions requiring the provision of replacement sports facilities on the southern section of the site, prior to the completion of varying levels of housing occupancy.

Between 2006 and 2011 AMA submitted various proposals for sports and other supporting developments (e.g. shop, care home); however each were subsequently withdrawn or legal agreements were not completed.  In 2013, the City Council permitted the complete removal of requirements for sports facilities tied to the occupancy of housing, resulting in requirements for sports facilities to be practically unenforceable. 

In 2022, AMA received approval for application 20/02916/FUL providing a further extension to the timescale for delivering sports facilities, subject to AMA entering into a mediation process with representatives of the Cramond community, including CBCCC.  AMA’s negotiations with potential commercial partners (e.g. care home and retail outlet operators) have resulted in delays in progressing the agreed ‘route map’; however, the first of two consultation events, required prior to the submission of a planning application was held in June 2026 folllowed by a second event in August 2026..

Campus Proposals and CBCCC’s Responses

AMA’s proposals for housing, care home, retail outlet, sports pitch/courts, pavilion, path network and open space are presented on AMA’s Cramond Campus website.  It is understood that AMA intends to submit a planning application by late-2026.

Following feedback from residents and CBCCC’s assessments of the proposals, CBCCC sent a detailed submission outlining its views on AMA’s proposals, as presented at the June consultation event, to AMA and has sought a meeting with the City Council’s planners in regard to the proposals.  CBCCC’s submission and AMA’s response can be viewed at CBCCC Consultation Submission & AMA Response 7.2026

 

  1. CBCC Background
  2. Paper 1: AMA current planning application (PDF, 10 KB)
  3. City Council Paper: Report on AMA Planning Application (PDF, 251 KB). This is the officials’ report on AMA’s planning application 20/02916/FUL asking for another five years in which to develop the former playing fields at the Campus. The Council’s Development Management Committee (DMC) considered it on 12 May 2021.
  4. City Council Paper: DMC Decisions 12 May 2021 (PDF, 112 KB).
  5. CBCC Background Paper 2: Cramond Campus Planning History (PDF, 4 MB). This summarises key events in the planning history of the Campus from 1993 to today. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  6. CBCC Background Paper 3: Critique of AMA Proposals (PDF, 2 MB). CBCC and CA have serious misgivings over a number of aspects of AMA’s proposals and this paper gives details of them. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  7. CBCC Background Paper 4: Sports Pitches in Edinburgh (PDF, 4MB). This highlights how the number of high capacity artificial turf pitches in Edinburgh has increased significantly since AMA’s 2002 planning application, with the result that the total “carrying capacity” of football and hockey pitches in the city is much higher than ever before. This has significant implications for the pitches proposed by AMA in 2002. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  8. CBCC Background Paper 5: Suggested Approach to Discussions (PDF, 4MB). In this paper CBCC and the CA suggest two options for the future of the Campus in addition to the proposals for which AMA has had full planning permission since 2003 and the approach they are currently determined to pursue. It also proposes a set of criteria to be used to evaluate the options. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  9. CBCC Background Paper 6: Local Needs (PDF, 2 MB). This sets out the results of CBCC’s assessment of local needs and how they could be met at the Campus. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  10. City Council Paper: Cramond Road North Meeting 14 June 2021 (PDF, 100 KB). This gives the results of a preliminary meeting organised by the Council.
  11. CBCC/AMA: Draft Note of Meeting 15 July 2021 (PDF, 119 KB). This is only a draft because those at the meeting have not met since it and therefore its approval (or amendment) will be one of the early items on the agenda at the start of the mediation process.
  12. City Council Paper: Draft Good Neighbour Agreement (PDF, 171 KB. This sets out Heads of Terms for a potential Good Neighbour Agreement between CBCC and the CA. It has not yet been discussed with the Council and AMA.
  13. CBCC Paper: Comments on Draft Good Neighbour Agreement (PDF, 83 KB). The title of this paper should be self-explanatory. It has not yet been discussed with the Council or AMA.

Other resources related to the Brighouse Development