PLANS have been approved by the city of Edinburgh Council for the redevelopment of the Cameron Toll Shopping Centre near Liberton in Edinburgh, which could involve “limited demolition”.
The plan is to entirely redevelop and reimagine Cameron Toll, with a mixed-use development comprising retail, commercial, residential, student accommodation, later living accommodation, a hotel, office space, sports/leisure, community uses, and public realm improvements.
Details about the development have so far been scarce, but the plans come six months after the construction of a 109-room hotel was given the green light by planners.
Two consultation events with the local community have been organised to discuss the plans, where more details will likely be released.
Cameron Toll is one of Edinburgh’s largest shopping centres and features a unique peaked roof glass entrance (C) Google
With the scale of the project, large parts of the structure will likely have to be demolished, but that has not been confirmed at this stage.
Developers have said that the plan is to keep the centre operational.
Planning permission in principle (PPP) and full planning permission (FUL) have been approved, but this does not give developers permission to build just yet, and a consultation will have to be held before official permission can be granted and work can commence.
Plans have been submitted by CBRE on behalf of Lady Road Investment SARL, an overseas shell company based in Luxembourg.
Cameron Toll is owned by Franklin Templeton Investments, an American multinational investment firm, and is managed by Hunter REIM, an independent real estate investment management company based in Edinburgh.
In a statement, Andrew Moffat, Managing Director of Hunter REIM said, “Every modern shopping centre is facing a new and challenging landscape.
“As successful as Cameron Toll has been, it needs to move away from just being a building dropped into the middle of a sea of parking to become a genuine commercial centre fit for purpose for the city’s south and east areas.
“We will be bringing forward proposals for a phased development that will see Cameron Toll become a new neighbourhood centre that provides a fantastic place for people to live and visit.
“New housing is badly needed in the nation’s capital and we’re confident we can deliver high quality new homes and better shops on exactly the kind of brown field site that everyone wants to see prioritised for housing.”
Planners say that its car park, which has space for more than 1,000 spaces, is currently going underutilised and that they aim to create a more connected Cameron Toll.
Moffat continued: “We fully understand the desire to see the biodiversity and public access gains that would result from the burn being fully uncovered.
“We shall examine that in full as part of the consultation, but we would want to ensure that there was a practical and affordable approach to achieving this, and that any solution attracted the support of local residents and stakeholders.
“We will be considering similar restoration initiatives including the work being carried out on the Burdiehouse Burn and consider the best solution we can deliver.”
Cameron Toll is one of the largest shopping centres in Edinburgh, and locals remember trips to the uniquely designed centre fondly.
It is the largest employer in The Inch and Liberton regions, employing more than 600 people across its many retail outlets, cafes and restaurants.
The sprawling complex was first opened in 1984.
The first consultation will be held on 15 December, from 2pm until 7pm, while the second will be held on 5 February 2026, from 2pm until 7pm.
Attending will be ward councillors and neighbouring ward councillors, local community councils, and conservation trusts.
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