Miller Homes, which bought the City Park site as part of a deal to provide a new home for the football club at nearby Ainslie Park, caused controversy with its original plans to build up to 200 flats.

Councillors rejected the plans in the wake of protests from residents and community groups about over-development and traffic problems, and told the developer to go back to the drawing board.

The new proposals will see 104 flats created on the site, 48 of which will be affordable homes. There will also be nine terraced houses, four detached houses and 16 townhouses. A new entrance to the site, off Ferry Road, will be created from Pilton Drive and it will include a combined cycle and pedestrian path, as well as traffic calming measures to make the development more pedestrian-friendly.

Joan Turner, chairwoman of Royston Wardieburn Community Council, welcomed the new blueprint.

"It sounds as though they have tried to meet all of the criteria laid down by the council, and I haven't heard many complaints.

"I suppose the concern at the moment is whether they will actually go ahead with the development, because of the state of the economy, but affordable housing is always desperately needed in Edinburgh."

Spartans are currently relocating to a purpose-built £3.3 million facility at Ainslie Park, which will include a 500-seat stand, a floodlit grass pitch, an all-weather pitch and a clubhouse and changing rooms.

The club expects around 1500 people to use the new facilities every week and has pledged to join forces with Telford College, NHS Lothian, youth groups and schools to ensure they maximise use of the complex.

David Morgan, land director for Miller Homes Scotland, said: "We're hopeful that the planning application we have submitted for City Park will be supported by the council, as we have followed their approved guidelines for the site, which include a requirement for 30 per cent family housing.

"The proposed development will be situated on a brownfield site that has previously been identified as suitable for residential housing and the council's strict sustainability criteria has also been met."

While there will be several four-storey blocks of flats, those next to Ferry Road will be limited to two and three-storey buildings, in keeping with the height of existing properties.