Penicuik is Midlothian’s largest town with a population of around 17,000 with a comprehensive range of existing retail, leisure and educational facilities, including food superstores, sports clubs, leisure centres and two secondary schools, and was identified by The Edinburgh and Lothian Structure Plan as a location where infrastructure capacity existed to accommodate new housing development in the period to 2015.

The Midlothian Local Plan, which had already allocated land for 400 new houses, subsequently allocated further land for an additional 350 new houses and 150 Affordable Houses at Mauricewood over five sites and in which Mactaggart & Mickel are involved in four with a total of 450 new houses.

The sites are located with frontage onto Mauricewood Road which connects the A702 trunk road and the A701 Edinburgh Road. The proposed development will involve the upgrading of Mauricewood Road at its junction with the A702 and the construction of a new roundabout. Additionally contributions will be made to the upgrading of the existing local schools and leisure facilities. A planning application has been submitted to Midlothian Council in respect of an initial phase of housing, however development cannot commence until the improvements to the A702 are completed.