This week’s planning applications in Edinburgh

May 7, 2025 11:00 am

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All of the planning applications made to the council’s planning team this week are shown on the list below.

Any property owner seeking to build, improve or alter their home or commercial premises must have the correct consents. This begins with a planning application and usually progresses all the way to a completion certificate.

Some applications for large developments such as purpose built student accommodation have been referred to the government Reporter after refusal by the council. Alterations to some buildings may also need listed building consent which is dealt with simultaneously.

There is a class of alterations which are considered “permitted developments” and will not need any planning permission. There is more guidance here.

Planning Weekly List 5 May 2025

The list below is in order of the 17 council wards in Edinburgh – which extends from Portobello to South Queensferry. The list includes a number of applications for consent, including retrospective consent, to change the use of premises to short term let accommodation.

This week a planning application has been lodged for 131 student flats at 50 Gillespie Crescent. This is a rerun of an application made some time ago which was then quickly escalated to the Government Reporter – who refused an appeal by the developer S.Harrison who wanted to demolish the building and replace it with a purpose built student flat development with 145 student bedrooms. This new application involves the same parties. We have asked the residents if they also plan to oppose this application.

In summer 2024 the Reporter advised the developers to go back to the drawing board as the outdoor space was not pleasant enough to entice students outside to use it. Read more here.

Meantime a separate application was lodged on 6 May on behalf of Waugh Investments Limited for a PBSA development on Ratcliffe Terrace where developers want to demolish existing buildings to create shops on the ground floor and student accommodation above at 33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace. This is the former Orcadia Creative Learning Centre, and plans include the retention of an unlisted Georgian facade. Waugh Investments is the company set up by bookie and former Hibs chairman, Kenny Waugh, who died in 2015.

While it is not the same site, there was a failed application to create a student flat development to replace the former Causewayside Lads Institute. There is also a third PBSA application for land off South Gray Street.