Plans have been announced to stabilise Edinburgh mining land that was previously shown to have issues with subsidence following mining operations in the area.

The Edmonstone Estate near Little France is set to undergo major stabilisation works over the coming years in order to facilitate the construction of hundreds of new homes in the area, Edinburgh Evening News reports.

Council officials have given the green light to ambitious plans for the site in a bid to help tackle the city’s ongoing need for more residential properties, with the estate highlighted as offering an excellent opportunity for urban growth.

However, the site has been sealed to the public since early 2013 after it was deemed “dangerous” due to the likelihood of subsidence following extensive mining works in the area.

As such, landowner Sheratan has now set out plans to carry out the filling of abandoned mine shafts with concrete and to cap off previous mining operations in the area, as this will stabilise the ground and ensure subsidence will not be a issue for future homeowners.

A spokesperson for Sheratan told the publication: “As previous failures of the ground have occurred, it is obvious that the location of all the old ‘bell pits’ is not known and future collapse of the ground in other locations of the site cannot be discounted.

“The remediation plans proposed represent the only definitive long-term solution to ensuring public safety.”

Pressure continues to mount on Edinburgh City Council for the provision of more homes, with estimates that a further 30,000 properties will be required to meet local housing needs by as early as 2024.

As such, work at the site is now set to get underway over the coming months, with the developer investing £8.5 million into the remedial stabilisation programme for the Edmonstone Estate.

Individuals worried about the spectre of subsidence in their area should consider the benefits of taking out a comprehensive subsidence insurance policy with GSI Insurance Services (Southern) Limited.