A WEBSITE has been published unveiling plans for an £80 million food and drink innovation park at Musselburgh.

The new facility is earmarked for a site next to Queen Margaret University.

Last month, as reported in the Courier, the university signalled its commitment to ensuring a 50-acre plot of land next to its Musselburgh campus was secured for economic development purposes. Knowledge economy consultancy CAM-SCI was enlisted to lead development of the detailed business plan.

The first phase of the development will include two 50,000 sq ft enterprise centres. Fully completed, the innovation park is expected to create 13,000 jobs for the local economy.

Support for the concept of an innovation park gathered pace following a proposal of application notice public consultation held during September last year. At that time, members of the public and community groups were invited to view the university’s proposals during exhibitions held at the Brunton Hall in Musselburgh and at the university campus.

Edinburgh City Region, which embraces Midlothian, East Lothian, West Lothian and Fife, has significant national and international investment appeal and for that reason it was agreed to adopt Edinburgh Innovation Park as the working title for the proposals.

The development will include a national food and drink enterprise centre, which will provide specialist facilities to support food science, research and development. A second facility will provide facilities for the wide range of small and medium enterprise sectors innovating across all the services required by the food and drink sector, from design through to new materials. The park is also likely to attract SMEs in innovation sectors that are not connected to food and drink.

The proposals also include retail and leisure facilities.

The plan, along with a slideshow of architect’s drawings, can now be viewed at edinburghinnovationpark.co.uk

Formal consultation will take place as part of any future planning application process.