*CAMERON TOLL REDEVELOPMENT*

31 Mar: Cameron Toll Development Proposals: Liberton & District CC held a briefing event on 30 March. Representatives of the development team were there to answer questions. In the first instance, remind yourself of the redevelopment proposals here: https://camerontollmasterplan.co.uk/. Secondly, recognise that the proposals tabled, though detailed, are very much proposals, not firm or approved plans. Thirdly, as the development teams states, ‘your feedback will inform the final stage of the design’. From here, GPCC encourages you to make your own opinion known directly to the development team. Very likely, there will be too wide a span of local opinion to allow broad conclusions to be drawn, certainly at this time.

Here are some of the talking points:

*There will be a marked change in skyline profiles, with c. 45m building elevations (11 storeys) towards the north end of the site. Skyline changes and ‘intrusions’ are a big part of the design considerations. There could be c. 500 new homes; by way of sale, rent and affordable housing. Car parking facilities for householders will be very constrained. Expect student housing to be added to the mix. All of this means big infrastructure provision.

*The covered mall concept will go. In good part by change in building regulations. There will be food and beverage outlets and ‘family leisure’ opportunities, perhaps along with some sports facilities. There is the idea of a ‘civic hub’ but it is thin on detail.

*The whole idea of a 20-minute neighbourhood centre needs a vibrant retail core and a service hub of post office, health and personal service facilities, but it is too early to do anything other than picture these.

*Related to the retail core is the very delicate issue of overall parking capacity – how much and how to manage. Capacity will be cut from current levels (driven by Council planning guidelines), but cut it too much and the retail hub is badly undermined.

*The idea of redirecting the Braid Burn, while bringing part of it back to daylight from the culvert, is causing disquiet on several counts, notably on engineering considerations and on flood risk (with spillover impacts). This is still in the hands of the engineers.

*This is not a pristine greenfield site. It is a brownfield site, marked as open to redevelopment. The existing retail hub is no longer commercially viable. Age and change in shopping patterns are the imminent threat to the Centre’s future. Change of use and a fundamental design re-think are crucial to the sites’ future as a locality and community hub. *Expect a planning application towards the end of 2026. If you have questions or seek more information, please get in contact with the development team by email at mailto:CameronToll@cbre.com

28 Mar: Craigmillar Park Association (CPA): Ian Wright writes:

The CPA had a meeting with CBRE and Cameron Toll management.   

Plans are progressing with more detailed architectural drawings being developed to give a much better idea of what the individual block being planned for the site will look like. Architects  are looking at placement of the blocks to avoid shading of Lady Road etc.  Block will be Retail at floor level with between 4 and 10 stories above.  Lady Road residents of course are concerned about shadowing.  Braid burn will be uncovered for part of it's length creating a green corridor.  Idea is to make the area outward facing compared with the inward looking site as present.

Main points:

*Current building is coming towards the end of it's useful life.  Maintenance is becoming an increasing issue.

*Retail alone will not sustain the shopping centre.  This plan is to revitalise the Cameron Toll site, or the alternative is a slow decline and dereliction.

 *Aim is to attract new outlets, e.g. perhaps a restaurant / bistro etc and increase variety of retail, while retaining the major Supermarket(s) as key attractions.

*Car parking is being reviewed.  They claim current usage is no more than 60% of car park places. Local concerns are displacement of cars into local streets.

*There will be phased construction with individual blocks being built with the shopping centre open throughout.

*Detailed plans should be ready be Mid 2026, with planning application done later in the year, with planning consent expected late 2026 or early 2027.

*Further consultation will take place once more detailed plans are available.

*Of note: Edinburgh is the retail crime hot spot of Scotland.  One Scotmid shop in Tollcross lost £180,000 in goods in one year.  Cameron Toll has at least daily events.

27 Mar: Cameron Toll Development Proposals: What we see and hear of just now are exploratory, outline plans. A detailed planning application might be expected late 2026, early 2027. In any event, a profound change is in prospect to the retail-dominated layout we have at the moment. The current shopping centre is held to be past its useful life. The site needs a new commercial viability and that will rest on ‘mixed use’ and changes to profile, layout, densities and parking capacities. For people living close to Cameron Toll, the natural concerns are going to be change in skyline, new high-rise blocks, incidence of ‘shadowing’ and displacement activity. The ‘retail experience’ will change. There will be a change in the centre’s ambience and comfort zones. The present outline plans are too vague to argue for and against. We will continue to learn more and will keep you informed.

25 Mar: Cameron Toll Development Proposals: On 30 March, Liberton & District Community Council is hosting an online review of the development plans, led by CBRE, representatives of the developers, from 7pm. For further detail and to request a Zoom online link, go to https://libertondcc.wordpress.com/ . You can view the outline plans at https://camerontollmasterplan.co.uk

10 Mar: Cameron Toll Development Proposals: A second public display of the early proposals was presented recently at Cameron Toll centre. We expect this 'Mixed Use' project to move towards the planning application stage. We also expect wide publicity and public consultation to build. You can view the current Consultation Boards here: https://camerontollmasterplan.co.uk/downloads/

Please take advantage of the invitation to give your opinion on what is proposed.

This is a major neighbourhood project for the south-east of Edinburgh. The change envisaged reflects the change of an expanding city, prospective new transport networks, shifts in retail patterns, commercial realities and the framework of Edinburgh’s Local Development Plan, with its emphasis on neighbourhood amenity. Change happens.

GPCC is in contact with the developer’s representatives, will be following this story, and will keep you appraised. In the meantime, make a point of responding to the feedback invitation in the link above. See also: https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/redevelopment-of-edinburghs-cameron-toll-to-create-genuine-20-minute-neighbourhood-5618865

12 Feb: Cameron Toll Redevelopment Plan: The second consultation event offered by the developer takes place on Thursday, 26 February in the Central Mall of the shopping centre, from 2pm to 7pm. The outline proposals from the first December event are here: https://camerontollmasterplan.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/250004-Public-Consultation-Exhibition-Boards-final_hq.pdf . The redevelopment initiative will now have to incorporate the idea of a tram-train hub merging the proposed north-south tram with the west-east South Suburban rail line. Grand schemes!

9 Jan 2026: Cameron Toll Redevelopment: Proposal of Application

CBRE have revised the next exhibition date at Cameron Toll Shopping Centre from 5 February to 26 February 2026 (2pm to 7pm). This is to allow the project team to progress current discussions with the Council Planning Team and to review the comments received to date from the public and other interested parties. It will be worthwhile to get an indication of how people see the vision, not least with regard to the idea of a tram and a train stopping at the local station.

17 Dec: Cameron Toll Redevelopment - Outline Proposals

A Proposal of Application Notice has been submitted by Hunter REIM, carrying new outline proposals for the regeneration of the forty-year-old Cameron Toll centre. A first consultation event took place at the centre on 15 December. Another will follow on 5 February (2pm to 7pm).

This link will take you to the ‘storyboard’: https://camerontollmasterplan.co.uk/

The broad idea is to move the centre’s focus from mainly retail to a much wider ‘mixed village’ concept with retail, catering, entertainment, a wide range of accommodation types, and a strong community focus. The broad idea, then is squeezing the ‘quart into the pint pot’, with a ‘bit of everything. This is all very exploratory, and aspirational. The look and tone of the ‘centre’ would be very different.

You have to invest the time to form your own views on this. We’ll follow the story as best we can.

24 Nov: Cameron Toll Redevelopment

News is emerging of the revised major redevelopment scheme intended for the Cameron Toll Centre. No detail as yet. The broad scheme is ‘comprehensive’: Mixed use development potentially comprising retail, commercial, residential, student accommodation, later living accommodation, hotel, office space, sports/leisure and community uses and public realm, along with associated landscaping and infrastructure.

See also: https://theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2025/11/cameron-toll-to-be-made-tram-ready/

The proposals will be exhibited at two consultation events as follows:

Event 1: 2pm – 7pm, Monday 15th December 2025 Event 2: 2pm-7pm, Thursday 5th February 2026, both at Central Mall, Cameron Toll Shopping Centre, 6 Lady Rd, Edinburgh, EH16 5PB