At the end of March 2010 Peel submitted two planning applications for Straiton Retail Park. These planning applications detailed alternative uses for a new 90,000 sq ft retail building, which would be ideal for use as either a department store or for traditional retail units.

Planning Permission was granted in the Autumn of 2010.

This website is dedicated to informing the public about the latest news, events & developments for the Straiton Retail Park proposals. You are able to view artist's impressions of the approved development.

It has been a desire and vision of the owner and developer the Peel Group for some time now to improve the attractiveness of Straiton Retail Park, not just in terms of its appearance, but to provide a greater choice of shopping and places to eat and drink.

Peel received planning permission a few years ago to enable it to embark on a very comprehensive improvement programme that would involve the entire park and include the refurbishment of the façade of the existing upper terrace as well as the provision of addition shops.

The first phase was constructed but then we hit the world-wide recession which effectively stopped all new projects throughout the group starting on site.

In order to continue to look to the future we have purchased by friendly negotiation, all the cottages, the builder’s yard and the offices located in the lower corner of the site near the roundabout on Straiton Road.

It is this land that has recently been given planning permission.

To keep our options open for when we are in a better economic climate, we worked up two schemes, only one of which will ultimately be situated on this corner plot. One option would be to construct a Department Store with the other more Traditional Retail Units.

As part of the Planning Application process we had to consider many aspects of what these schemes would entail to ensure amongst other matters, it is good for the people of the locality.

Our proposals will help reduce the need to travel and create a more sustainable shopping and leisure destination as they will provide existing and future Midlothian residents with the choice of being able to travel shorter distances and to be able to shop at specific or chosen retailers that are currently located elsewhere, but not at Straiton.

This next phase of Straiton will see the construction of a stunning landmark building on a prominent site addressing the City Bypass.

Dynamic curved elevations follow the lines of the surrounding roads and use a palette of high quality materials, including terracotta rainscreen cladding, glazed stairwells and facing brick. The result is a striking and contemporary design which compliments the existing adjacent retail units and creates a bold architectural statement on this highly visible site.

Around the perimeter of the building will be a plinth, at first floor level on which it is intended to display artwork – sculptures perhaps. This will be commissioned by Peel and could draw on the rich history of Midlothian, from agriculture to mining.