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A Place Brief for the Astley Ainslie Hospital site

NHS Lothian is planning to vacate the Astley Ainslie Hospital (AAH) site by the mid-2020s and expects to offer the site for sale from Autumn 2020.  This is a precious site in the heart of our community in South Edinburgh and there are several community and amenity groups that have an interest in the future uses and development of the site.

The AAH Community Engagement Group (CEG) comprises representatives of those interested groups. It is working with NHS Lothian and City of Edinburgh Council (CEC) to develop the programme for the creation of a Place Brief for the site.  This Place Brief will be developed by the planning officers of CEC through consultation with community groups and with the wider public throughout 2019/20.   The Place Brief will be adopted by the CEC in mid 2020 and become the baseline document against which any planning applications for the site will be assessed by CEC’s Planning Department.  NHS Lothian will also develop a more detailed Masterplan for the site and will initiate marketing of the site in autumn 2020, but only after the Place Brief has been endorsed by CEC. This will ensure potential bidders understand fully the opportunities and constraints presented by the site.

Indicative Timetable

Membership of CEG

A group, separate from the Astley Ainslie Community Engagement Group, has been set up to investigate the possibility of community ownership of the site.  We liaise closely with them.  They have held well-attended public meetings and have set up a trust, the Astley Ainslie Community Trust (AACT). You can find more information about this group here.  The AACT is consulting on specific opportunities for community ownership and uses of parts of or the whole site.  Any proposed use or development will have to be consistent with the Place Brief and we expect the AACT to make proposals for incorporation into the Place Brief.

This website provides information on progress with the programme to develop and endorse the Place Brief, including minutes of meetings with NHS Lothian.

Click here if you want to be kept in touch by email with development of the AAH Place Brief.

Click here if you have suggestions for the future of the site.