New warehouse proposed for 11A Bankhead Crossway North in Sighthill

A new warehouse could be added to an existing industrial site at 11A Bankhead Crossway North, in Edinburgh’s Sighthill Industrial Estate.

The proposal would expand the current warehouse and office premises with a new Class 6 warehouse building, alongside changes to the surrounding external areas. The plans also include landscaping, suggesting the application is not only about additional floorspace but also about how the site’s yard, access and edges would be arranged.

The address sits within one of west Edinburgh’s established employment areas, close to Bankhead, Sighthill and the wider industrial corridor around the city bypass and main west-side routes.

What is proposed

The planning application seeks permission for the expansion of the existing warehouse and office premises at 11A Bankhead Crossway North.

The main elements are:

• a new warehouse building for Class 6 storage and distribution use
• associated landscaping
• external works around the site
• changes linked to the operation of the existing warehouse and office premises

Class 6 is the planning use class generally associated with storage and distribution. In practical terms, the proposal points to an enlarged industrial or logistics-style operation on a site already used for warehouse and office purposes.

The planning description does not name a new occupier or set out a construction timetable. It also does not state whether the new building would replace any existing structures or sit within yard space. Those details are likely to be assessed through the submitted drawings and supporting material on the council portal.

Where the site is

The site is at 11A Bankhead Crossway North, Edinburgh EH11 4DT.

Bankhead Crossway North is part of the Sighthill Industrial Estate, a long-established commercial and industrial area in the west of the city. The surrounding area contains a mix of warehouse, workshop, trade, office and yard-based uses, with larger commercial plots set around estate roads rather than traditional shopping streets or residential avenues.

The site itself is described in commercial property material as an existing warehouse/workshop and office premises with a secure yard. The offices include modern open-plan space, while the industrial accommodation has direct yard access through roller shutter doors. The wider site has also been marketed with features such as flood lighting, CCTV and electric vehicle chargers.

That existing context matters. This is not a proposal to introduce warehousing into a primarily residential street. It is an expansion within an established industrial estate where vehicle access, servicing yards and business premises are already part of the local pattern.

Why it matters

Even in an industrial estate, a new warehouse building can be a notable local planning application.

For nearby businesses, the proposal could affect how the site is used day to day, including yard movements, servicing arrangements and the layout of parking or external circulation areas. For people travelling through the estate, changes to an active industrial plot can also alter traffic patterns at specific times of day, especially if delivery, storage or distribution activity increases.

For the city, the application is part of a wider story about demand for industrial and logistics space. Edinburgh has limited land for larger warehouse, workshop and distribution uses, particularly in locations with access to the west of the city, the bypass and established business estates. Proposals that intensify existing industrial plots can therefore be significant even when they are not high-profile city-centre developments.

The inclusion of landscaping is also worth noting. Industrial applications are often judged not only on the size and use of the building, but on how the site sits within its surroundings: boundary treatment, planting, hardstanding, parking, servicing and the relationship with neighbouring plots all shape the final impact on the ground.

The site context

11A Bankhead Crossway North is not a vacant greenfield site. It is an existing business premises with warehouse, workshop and office accommodation, set within a secure yard environment.

That means the key planning questions are likely to focus on the scale and layout of the expansion rather than the principle of industrial use in this location. Residents and businesses looking at the plans may want to pay particular attention to:

• the position and height of the new warehouse building
• how vehicles would enter, leave and move around the site
• any changes to parking, loading or yard arrangements
• the treatment of boundaries and new landscaping
• how the expanded premises would relate to neighbouring industrial units

The application is currently listed as awaiting assessment, so it has not yet reached a decision stage.

What happens next

City of Edinburgh Council will assess the application against planning policy and the site’s local context. As with other planning applications, neighbours, businesses and interested parties can view the file and submit comments through the council’s planning portal.

The application can be found by searching for planning reference 26/02078/FUL on the City of Edinburgh Council planning portal. The address is 11A Bankhead Crossway North, Edinburgh EH11 4DT.