Following a successful appeal by property and development company S Harrison, planning permission has been granted for a purpose-built student accommodation scheme with 64 studio apartments. Planning consultants, Turley, managed the appeal process that resulted in a decision being issued just three months after submission. The appeal was lodged after members of the development management sub-committee refused the initial application, going against their planning officer’s recommendation that it should be approved. Turley also provided heritage and townscape services on the project. Designed by CDA, the scheme, on East Newington Place, off Newington Road will see an old, disused commercial unit demolished and the site redeveloped into a modern, energy-efficient four storey building, with on-site management. East Newington Place is located close to the main city centre campus of the University of Edinburgh and within easy reach of the amenities on Newington Road. As well as the 64 studios, the development has separate study rooms, a multimedia room, gym, break out space, cycle storage and a south facing courtyard garden. David Clancy, from S Harrison, said: “As the universities continue to successfully attract increasing student numbers, the provision of purpose-built student accommodation like this will help to relieve the pressure on family housing stock, which is very much in line with the council’s own guidance. “It’s the ideal location for a student development, just half a mile from the George Square campus, and a ten-minute cycle to both the King’s Buildings campus and Edinburgh Napier University’s Merchiston campus. We are confident students will be attracted to East Newington Place’s position, as well as the high-quality studios and communal facilities. “City of Edinburgh Council planning officers considered there to be no material planning reasons to justify refusal and that our designs will preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area. They also stated that the development will not result in excessive concentration of students in the locality, and the planning inspector agreed with these conclusions.” With a fabric first approach, the development will have full LED lighting, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and utilise air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. David added: “The scheme has excellent energy efficient credentials and the high-quality building materials will reflect and be sympathetic to the surrounding buildings. Its height is also more in keeping with other buildings in the local area and it’s a positive result that will see a disused brownfield site get a fresh new future.” Demolition work will start next month, and work is due to start on site in spring 2023, with studios being ready for occupation for September 2024. S Harrison has excellent credentials in the student market. As well as developing several schemes in the north of England, East Newington Place represents the fourth successful scheme in Edinburgh, with further developments in the pipeline in the city, as well as in Glasgow. The business has also made a substantial investment in Edinburgh in recent years. In 2019 the company delivered a £25m scheme to provide a landmark boutique hotel for Malmaison in the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town. The work saw the Grade A listed Buchan House, on the north-west corner of St Andrew Square, converted into a stylish 72-bedroom hotel complete with Malmaison’s renowned Chez Mal Bar and Brasserie. S Harrison also has planning permission for a stunning new hotel on Osborne Terrace. The transformational scheme will see Osborne House, an old 1970s office building within the Wester Coates area, just West of Edinburgh’s city centre, converted into a new 157-bedroom hotel, with a restaurant and bar on the ground floor. The developer is also exploring opportunities for its 0.6-hectare site on Ocean Drive in Leith.
