The council’s Development Management Sub Committee meets on Wednesday, and one of the matters they will discuss is the New Town Quarter.
If that name does not mean anything to you then it refers to the former RBS building on Dundas Street which was demolished a few years back and which has become an empty 2.37 hectare site.
The postal address used in the planning papers is 1 Fettes Row, but the site stretches from the George V park to Dundas Street and is bounded on the south by Fettes Row.
Developers Ediston want to use part of the site (for which they already have planning permission) as the largest single site purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) developments in the capital. There are 593 units proposed in the heart of an established residential community, and the student flats will be situated in blocks fronting Dundas Street. It is understood that a space rented in such a development to a student would generate around £22,000 a year. The previous permission included commercial space and the demand for that has dropped.
During the consultation 477 objections were submitted and one comment in support. There was some confusion over the consultation period opening and then reopening.
Locals will have their say at the meeting – Iain Mackenzie will speak on behalf of the Eyre Place and Royal Crescent Association. This group already fought off a student flat development on an empty site on Eyre Place Lane, and are well versed in what the basis for objections are. There are plenty of objections – and despite that the council officers recommend that planning permission is granted.
A spokesperson for the Eyre Place Association said: “Edinburgh’s most pressing shortage is in affordable housing (for students as well). This proposal, however, is clearly driven by maximising profit, rather than addressing the city’s most critical housing needs.
“The community has expressed an overwhelming preference to proceed with the previously approved proposal, which offered a balanced, mixed-use development. That design provided a strong sense of place, integrating residential and commercial spaces and fostering meaningful connections between existing communities.
“It aligned with Edinburgh’s ambitions for long-term, sustainable, mixed communities. In contrast, the current submission isone-dimensional, dominated by PBSA.”
Statement from Fettes Row and Royal Crescent Association
“The Fettes Row & Royal Crescent Association was established in 1971 to preserve the historical character of the area and promote community welfare. We are very concerned about the impact this proposed plan will have on our community, and Edinburgh as a whole. It represents a fundamental departure from the already approved plan, as well as planning policies.
“It is well known that Edinburgh has a pressing housing challenge, and this site is one of the last remaining large-scale development projects in the heart of the city that could address it.
“The approved plan was for a mixed use commercial and residential site that would have created 435 new homes. The current proposal removes the commercial element and two approved Build-to-Rent blocks, and instead adds 599 units of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). As a result, it contributes far less permanent housing and does not achieve the goal of a balanced an sustainable urban quarter. Instead, student housing will dominate the site, with huge numbers of transient residents impacting community cohesion and long-term stability. The massive increase in overall population density (with 918 total units) will put added pressure on already over-subscribed essential services such as GP practices and buses.
“It’s important to note that this site is directly next to the World Heritage Site, so must respect and protect its character. We don’t believe that this plan does. Building heights on Fettes Row will now be higher than the site of the ex-RBS building and the tree line. There will be new ‘bridges’ from the site directly in the World Heritage site. And there is also no tree preservation order in place, thereby potentially threatening the natural ‘border’ between the site, the World Heritage Site, and the beloved George V Park. We are already seeing this impact on the trees with the ongoing works.
“Our residents have been living in uncertainty for nearly 10 years, and with extreme vibration, noise, and disruption through the demolition and ongoing building works. Communication from the developers has been poor and has put an undue burden on us to make sense of hundreds of documents to understand the proposed changes. We want the site to be developed. But we don’t think this is the answer. We would ask that the developers proceed with the already approved plan, which would create a mixed use site that balances commercial, much-needed rental, and residential properties.”
When the initial development was introduced in 2020 Ediston lodged a planning application for what was then the largest city centre development in decades.
The brownfield site was renamed New Town Quarter, previously called New Town North. It was to be created on the site of the building occupied by RBS at the foot of Dundas Street, and a massive 5.9 acre site where one of the oldest city football pitches used to be, home to St Bernard’s Football Club. The plans were for the site to become home to a new hotel, houses and office space. That permission was granted in February 2021.
The plans for a hotel, 350 houses and offices were approved subject to conditions imposed about height, and the requirement for affordable housing.
There will be a 116 room hotel on Dundas Street as well as new public areas. Following much public comment and four public consultations the developers say they are very pleased to work towards an amended plan which will meet the council’s requirements.
Ross McNulty, Development Director of Ediston commented on behalf of Ediston and Orion Capital said at the time: “We’re obviously delighted that the Council has approved the largest brownfield development in the city centre for many years. We are now looking forward to working with the Council on the forthcoming amending application for the Dundas Street block, which we intend to submit in the near future.
“The New Town Quarter will make a huge contribution to the economic recovery in the city centre and in the wider Edinburgh area. We’re keen to progress the development as quickly as possible with a view to delivering a new community that will become one of the best places to live and work, in one of the finest cities in the world. We’re determined that the New Town Quarter will create a lasting and positive legacy for the local community and the City of Edinburgh.”
Instead the site has remained vacant with building work only starting a few weeks ago to the back of the site near the park.
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