The biggest urban expansion of Edinburgh in a generation has gained outline light paving the way for 7,000 homes to be built.

The £2bn West Town neighbourhood will be located on a 205-acre site between Ingliston Park and Ride and the Gogar Roundabout.

It will include Edinburgh’s largest investment in social housing in recent years, delivering some 2,500 new affordable homes on the mixed tenure development.

Proposals for West Town also include space for a primary school and a large high school, a 300-bed hotel and 300-student rooms.

There will also be 450,000 sq ft of mixed-use amenity space including medical provision, civic and community areas – plus bars, restaurants, cafes, retail, commercial and office space.

Transport provision will focus on a new tram stop in the centre of the development linked to the Edinburgh Tram route running directly through the site, together with an integrated bus service.

There will also be 27-acres of open green space – including a 5.5-acre central park

Drum Property Group formed the development vehicle West Town Edinburgh Ltd to bring the scheme forward three years ago.

Graeme Bone, Drum’s managing director said: “This planning consent is the next significant milestone in our journey to realise the ambition we share with the Council, as agreed in the City Plan 2030, to deliver a major transformation of the west of Edinburgh.

Phasing of development will be determined through a later submission to the city planning committee.

Once this framework is agreed upon, West Town Edinburgh will submit detailed planning applications for each construction phase.

Initial phases will focus on the new tram stop, creating a town centre early in the development together with homes, a new school and commercial, community and amenity spaces.