With an incredible 2,500 homes planned, the Elgin South housing development is undoubtedly the largest of its kind currently under construction in the town.
In fact, it is most likely the largest ever planned project in the history of the community.
At a massive 205 hectares, nearly half the size of RAF Lossiemouth, the site extends along the entire length of the town’s southern boundary.
Another new primary school, separate clusters of shops and health facilities have all been included in the ambitious vision.
The development is being spearheaded by Elgin-based developer Springfield Properties with a masterplan backed by Moray Council.
An impressive 72 pages are included in the document which has undergone several revisions since it was initially approved in 2017.
The Press and Journal has read the blueprint to prepare this guide on the Elgin South housing project to ensure you have everything you need to know about the plans, including;
- How far the huge site extends and where houses will be built next.
- Why Springfield has described the Elgin South housing development as “three new villages”.
- The latest on when and where the new primary school at Glassgreen will be built.
- How Elgin’s transport network is likely to cope with the huge population expansion in the south of the town.
- And how much is being paid to Moray Council to help Elgin take the strain from the population boom.
Elgin South: Where and when will housing be built?
The area the Elgin South housing development covers is vast.
It stretches from the edge of the golf course, over the A941 Elgin to Rothes road, encompassing Moray Sports Centre and Linkwood Primary School and going beyond Linkwood Road into the fields to the east.
As such, it is expected that construction will continue in the area for at least the next 20 years past 2045.
Springfield’s main focus on new homes until now has predominantly been on the area near the golf course with large parts already complete.
The masterplan includes an indicative plan of where the developer will build out the wider development.
- Construction will continue to focus on the area between the A941 Rothes road and the golf course in the coming years.
- By the early 2030s construction will move to the area surrounding Moray Sports Centre and the fields on the opposite side of Linkwood Road from the complex.
- Attention is then expected to move to the area between the A941 Rothes road and the disused railway line near Linkwood Primary.
- The final areas to be completed will be on land south of Linkwood Primary and the corresponding area on the opposite side of Linkwood Road from about 2040.
When will new primary school for south of Elgin be built?
With approximately 2,500 homes expected to be built over the next 25 years or so, the Elgin South housing development will lead to a forecast population boom of more than 5,000 people.
Unsurprisingly, the huge influx of people is expected to place a great strain on the town’s services.
Linkwood Primary School was opened in 2021 within the development area to reduce the strain on schools in the south of the town.
It still has room to grow with the latest Scottish Government statistics showing it has a roll of 295 against a capacity of 450.
Moray Council is planning to build a second primary school as part of the development, which is currently known as Glassgreen Primary School.
The masterplan shows the site planned for the new school is between the golf course and the A941 Rothes road.
Recent changes to the blueprint have moved the location slightly south to allow for a bigger plot and for it to be “more centrally located in the catchment”.
No firm date has been set on when the school will open, but it’s not likely to be for a while.
A strategy document about the future of Moray Council’s school estate indicates the design phase for Glassgreen will not begin until 2030.
The new Findrassie Primary School in the north of Elgin is expected to be the next one built in the town. However, no firm date has been set for that opening either with Moray Council reviewing the project annually.
Will there be any new shops, health and community facilities in Elgin South?
Springfield has described its Elgin South development as not only a housing project, but the construction of “three new villages”.
Planners have christened them Glassgreen, which is currently under construction near the golf course, Linkwood, which covers the area surrounding Linkwood Primary and Moray Sports Centre, and Easter Linkwood, which will be to the east of Linkwood Road.
Designers want the new villages to be “20-minute neighbourhoods”, meaning residents will have most of their daily needs within a short walk.
That means locations for shops, health facilities and “employment opportunities” have been included in both Glassgreen, Linkwood and Easter Linkwood.
Some of the commercial units are expected to be ground floor spaces beneath flats, similar to a unit currently for sale on Jasmine Drive near Linkwood Primary.
A large central park has been proposed for the area near the Linkwood Burn and the former railway line. Drawings show the area could contain sports pitches.
Meanwhile, a “linear park” stretching from west to east through the whole development including allotments, recreational areas and gardens has been earmarked.
Planners say the “arc park” will form the “backbone” of the entire Elgin South housing development.
How Elgin’s transport system will cope with huge population increase
Regular drivers will know that it doesn’t matter whether you’re going north to south or east to west, it’s not particularly easy to drive through Elgin.
Try and do it on a Friday afternoon and it seems to get a whole lot harder.
So, how will Elgin cope with 2,500 extra homes on the southern edge of the town?
Perhaps the most important factor to point out is the development is planned for between Elgin and the proposed route for the A96 bypass.
The plans designed for the dualling route show a new junction with the Aberdeen to Inverness road on the A941 Rothes road near Birkenhill woods.
It means that, if the Elgin bypass is ever built, that a proportion of the traffic from the new houses would avoid the town completely.
Meanwhile, planners have proposed a new roundabout on the A941 Rothes road to enter the new development just outside the current 40mph speed limit boundary.
One principal road will run east to west through the development to minimise the impact on existing streets.
How will I get about Elgin South housing development if I can’t drive?
Springfield says talks will be held with Moray Council and Stagecoach about rerouting the current 33A and 33C bus routes through the new Elgin South homes.
Planners have emphasised a balance will need to be struck between allowing bus access and “discouraging rat running”.
Improvements have also been identified to both Linkwood Road and Birnie Road to help them accommodate the extra traffic.
Designers have stressed all of the new neighbourhoods will be predominantly walkable with an emphasis on walking and cycling routes and access.
Revealed: The £5million being paid to Moray Council from Elgin South development to fund vital improvements
As is common with all major developments, Springfield signed a legal agreement with Moray Council to contribute cash to public services to help them cope with the additional strain from the population expansion.
The fees, known as “developer obligations”, can be used to fund specific projects within Elgin within a certain timeframe.
Below is the total payments due to be made by Springfield to Moray Council in phases once the Elgin South housing development hits specific milestones.
Primary school education: £3,726,645
Secondary school education: £848,250
Health care: £1,080,105
Moray Sports Centre: Includes provision for Springfield to procure pitches for public use associated with Moray Sports Centre, or submit plans for two separate pitches and changing rooms.
Read more from Elgin
- Where will the 1,600 homes go? When will new primary school open? Big questions answered about the Findrassie housing development
- Has Elgin’s parking situation improved since last year? I take to the streets for a day to find out
- No shops, more than two years late and a bankrupt developer: The saga of how the St Giles Centre in Elgin finally opened
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