OUTLINE plans were submitted yesterday for the development of the Granton gasworks site in Edinburgh, involving 2000 new houses and creating up to 5000 jobs.
The scheme, proposed by BG Property and architects Foster and Partners, covers 110 acres and is one of the largest brownfield regeneration developments in Britain.
They say it would make a major contribution to the larger #500m project to develop Edinburgh's northern waterfront and complement plans by the city council and other agencies.
The plan envisages a mix of housing and commercial buildings. It also has earmarked a site for a primary school, other land for educational purposes, and a substantial park half the size of Leith Links.
But the proposals seek demolition of all three gasometers, long since landmarks on Edinburgh's skyline, including the middle one given category B listed building status by Historic Scotland two years ago. A former railway station and gatehouse, also listed, will be retained in the development.
Ms Myra Barnes, BG Property's head of planning, said the development would benefit existing and new communities.
''We have liaised extensively with the council on how we can work together to regenerate the BG site,'' she said.
''We have made a number of amendments to our own site development plan as a result of this process and we now believe that we have a set of proposals which are well laid out and are compliant with both national policy and the council's planning objectives.''
The site does have particular problems. Existing gas pipe networks will have to be re-routed or replaced, and there is a legacy of contamination after 70 years' use for coal-based gas processing.
BG Property said there were localised ''hot-spots'' but these were contained and posed no hazard nor any obstacle to redevelopment.
Two of the gasometers are still used for storage. They would be demolished if made redundant by the new pipe network.
The listed gasometer would also be left a skeleton if decommissioned.
''We do not believe that retention of this would provide any useful purpose in the site's regeneration and will cause potential health, safety and maintenance issues,'' a BG spokesman said.
Foster and Partners is an international practice led by Lord Foster. One of its designs also includes the removal of two other celebrated towers - at Wembley stadium.
The firm's projects include the new Reichstag in Berlin, Hong Kong International Airport, the Commerzbank - Europe's tallest building - in Frankfurt, and the new #65m Greater London Assembly building on the south bank of the Thames,
BG Properties, set up in 1994 with 1800 properties owned by the British Gas group, has been involved in a number of brownfield regeneration projects at 200 sites around the country.
General manager Phil Kirby is a member of Lord Rogers' urban task force set up by the Government to look at how to make best use of Britain's legacy of brownfield land.
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