News

Green light for student-led residential development on London Road, Edinburgh

Acting on behalf of HG Developments, Turley has secured planning permission for the development of high-quality student accommodation on London Road.

We provided expert Planning services for the application which was approved by City of Edinburgh Council at committee today (16 December).
 
Located at London Road, the 76-bed development is being undertaken by developer, HG Developments. This is a second phase development of the neighbouring student accommodation at 61-63 London Road, also being undertaken by HG Developments. This incorporates the vacant land, presenting a continuation of regeneration along the London Road corridor.
 
Situated opposite Meadowbank Stadium, the contemporary state of the art development will replace the existing car wash and will see the delivery of a six-storey block, predominantly in brick, bringing a strong architectural element to the corner site.

The planning application was progressed after the site was re-marketed when a previous residential development consent for the scheme could not be progressed due to it not being possible to build over a sewer present on the site.

On completion, Edinburgh based charity People Know How will locate their headquarters on the ground floor of 61-63 London Road, closer to the communities in which they operate.

The site is not within a Conservation Area or within the boundary of the UNESCO World Heritage site and is in an area within which there is a considerable volume of mixed-use development proposed, complementing the established residential areas nearby.
 
It is located on London Road, a major thoroughfare in the city boasting a high frequency of bus routes, including buses that directly serve university and college campuses and facilities.
 
Given the high accessibility of the location, only four parking spaces will be delivered, two accessible spaces and two to accommodate cars for the for the City Car Club, now known as Enterprise Car Club.
 
A high focus on cycling is a key part of the proposal, with capacity for 198 bicycle spaces. There will also be Sheffield racks available for visitors and staff, giving a total of 210 bicycle spaces.
 
Energy efficient design will enhance the sustainability of the development, and water consuming systems will offer considerable reductions in water use compared to baseline technologies, including low flush toilets and low flow taps and showers.
 
In addition, the proposal will help to address the increasing demand for student accommodation in the city. Edinburgh’s leading universities and colleges are a key driver of the capital’s economy and civic life, and student bed provision in Edinburgh remains below average compared with competing student cities across the UK.

Architects 3DReid worked on the scheme.

 
A spokesperson for HG Developments commented:

“We are delighted to have received approval of our application at committee today. This high-quality student accommodation proposal will serve to redevelop a brownfield site in previous commercial use.

“Given the high sustainability of the location there is no requirement for car parking spaces beyond those for the City Car club and disabled spaces, and we are ensuring that there is excellent provision of bicycle spaces.
 
“The development also serves to address the increasing demand for student accommodation, fulfilling the ambitious growth plans of universities in the city, which are key drivers of the economy. This also helps to reduce pressure on the private housing market as well as delivering a substantial amount in additional expenditure into the local economy.”

16 December 2020