by Joseph Anderson Local Democracy Reporter.

The site of a former Edinburgh pub could be demolished to make way for more student accommodation, as the developer has been granted permission to undertake a consultation with local residents.

London-based student accommodation developers Alumno Group will now launch a public consultation regarding a plot of land at the junction of London Road, Restalrig Road South, Portobello Road and Willowbrae Road – the current site of the recently-closed Barrel House Bar and Grill.

At the beginning of December, the owners of the Barrel House were forced to sell off the majority of the bar’s contents in order to pay bills and wages.

The proposed site also includes the now closed Tyre Trax on London Road, and the adjacent Qasheez Takeaway.

No detailed plans have been published, as the consultation is being undertaken ahead of a planning application being sent to The City of Edinburgh Council, but the consultation indicates the ground floor of the development will be given over to business units.

The developer’s main approach will be via an online consultation, including a live stream where members of the development team will be available to answer questions from residents, which is set to take place in February 2021 on a dedicated website.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency : funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector, and used by qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) is a public service news agency. It is funded by the BBC, provided by the local news sector (in Edinburgh that is Reach plc (the publisher behind Edinburgh Live and The Daily Record) and used by many qualifying partners. Local Democracy Reporters cover news about top-tier local authorities and other public service organisations.