Scottish Water's Fairmilehead Office Redevelopment

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Project status prepare

Project Overview

Scottish Water is submitting an application for Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) for the redevelopment of our Fairmilehead office site.

As part of a wider property review, we have decided to move our Edinburgh office to a more accessible location in the city centre and repurpose the Fairmilehead site for long-term use.

We are considering redevelopment plans as we prepare to transfer office functions from Fairmilehead, aiming to eventually sell the site when it is no longer needed for operational use.

We are still in the early stages of planning, and no final design or layout has been decided. Our priority is to ensure the site can be redeveloped in a way that is well‑considered, sustainable, and respectful of the surrounding community.

The PPiP process is designed to establish the principle of development, while ensuring that any future development is managed responsibly.

Public consultation events will be held to allow residents, stakeholders and community groups to view the emerging proposals and provide feedback.

At A Glance

Submitting an application for Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP)
Part of Scottish Water’s wider property review
Early proposals being developed by appointed design and architecture partners
Public consultation events planned before application submission
No final design or development decisions made at this stage

What to Expect

The Fairmilehead office is one of several larger sites identified through our property review as under‑utilised and no longer suited to long‑term operational needs.

Relocating to a modern, accessible workspace will allow us to support more flexible ways of working and provide better connectivity for colleagues, while creating an opportunity to plan a new future for the Fairmilehead site.

Planning Permission in Principle

Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) is a type of planning application used in Scotland to establish whether the principle of development is acceptable in terms of land use, location and scale before detailed plans are submitted. It allows applicants to seek approval for the principle of development, without providing detailed designs.

Should PPiP be approved, conditions will be added to the planning permission which requires the applicant to submit an Application for Matters Specified in Conditions (AMSCs). The AMSC process is where details such as materials, design, layout, landscaping and/or unit numbers are provided for assessment to the planning authority. Work cannot start on site until an AMSC is submitted and approved.

It is commonly used for major-scale applications or early‑stage proposals – such as the Fairmilehead redevelopment - when the aim is to secure agreement that the site can be developed, without yet determining the exact layout, appearance or design.

Public Consultation

As part of the planning process, we will be holding two public consultation events to give residents and stakeholders the opportunity to ask questions, offer feedback, and view the emerging proposals.

Both events are scheduled in the Swanston Hall at Fairmilehead Church, 1A Frogston Road, EH10 7AA on:

Wednesday 11 March, 3-7pm
Wednesday 25 March, 3-7pm

These are informal drop‑in sessions, designed to share information and answer any questions you may have. You can come along at any time during the advertised hours, and there is no need to stay for the full duration. We are hosting two events to ensure as many people as possible have the opportunity to attend and provide feedback.

If you are unable to make either date, please don’t worry - all materials and information will be shared afterwards on this dedicated webpage.

The ability to provide feedback via this webpage will be opened in advance of the first consultation event and will remain live until seven days after the second consultation event.

Our Commitment to the Community

We are committed to transparent, proactive and community‑centred communication throughout the project. As proposals develop, we will continue to work closely with the City of Edinburgh Council and keep residents and stakeholders updated.

Please note that all comments received during this process are not representations to City of Edinburgh Council. Comments should not be made to the City of Edinburgh Council at this stage. An opportunity to make representations to the Council will exist when a formal application is made and statutory neighbour notification and publicity will be undertaken at that time.