Work begins on Granton Waterfront project with 847 homes planned
Construction has begun on a major phase of Edinburgh’s Granton Waterfront regeneration, with plans for 847 net-zero homes, a new primary school and business space on former industrial land.
By Keep Updated UK Newsroom
Published:
Scotland’s First Minister, John Swinney, marked the start of work on 7 October 2026. The development is described by the Scottish Government as one of the country’s largest brownfield regeneration schemes.
Of the 847 homes planned in the development, 387 are described as affordable. The published scheme also includes 14 commercial units and a primary school, forming part of a longer-term effort to turn the former industrial waterfront into a residential neighbourhood.
A much bigger waterfront ambition
The wider Granton programme is presented as a £1.3 billion transformation that could eventually deliver 3,500 homes, leisure facilities and a large coastal park. These are future plans, not facilities that have already been completed.
The Scottish Government says it will provide City of Edinburgh Council with up to £2.1 million annually over 20 years to support the first phase. That funding depends on the council meeting targets covering active-travel routes, green spaces, skills programmes and benefits for local community organisations.
A further £16 million is being provided through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. Ministers estimate the public investment could help attract £220 million of private investment in housing and business space.
Skills and opportunities for young people
The regeneration plans include a construction training pathway run through Edinburgh College, local schools and Cruden Homes. The government says 264 S3 pupils, 195 S4 pupils and 307 full-time college students were participating in the pathway at the time of its announcement.
The scheme aims to offer hands-on experience and potential routes into further education, apprenticeships or jobs. Those outcomes will need to be judged over time alongside the number and type of homes actually delivered.
What residents will be watching
For existing neighbourhoods around Granton, the key questions extend beyond the start of building work. The project’s eventual value will depend on whether affordable housing, local facilities, transport links and public space arrive as promised.
The first construction milestone is now under way, but the wider waterfront transformation remains a long-term development programme.
Sources & Further Information
Related Stories
England’s community groups invited to apply for share of £2.5m fund
Community groups across England have until 12 October to seek support from a £2.5 million government fund designed to improve the places and equipment that bring neighbours together.
Devon libraries could be transformed by £300,000 community grants
Libraries across Devon could become more flexible, welcoming community spaces under two newly opened grant schemes worth a combined £300,000.
Welsh groups offered support to develop community-owned clean energy
Community organisations across Wales are being encouraged to develop their own clean-energy projects as a new UK-wide funding package aims to make local ownership of renewable power more accessible.