A group who have tried to fight off plans for a 544-bed super-hostel in Atholl Crescent at the West End say the approval of the controversial development sets a dangerous precedent for the future of the capital.
Residents say the decision risks opening the door for major corporate-backed developers to use planning loopholes to force high-density tourist accommodation into some of Edinburgh’s most sensitive heritage sites.
More than 280 objections were lodged against the plans to transform four Category A-listed Georgian townhouses in Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site into pod-style hostel accommodation. The proposals were also condemned by all four local ward councillors and Dr Scott Arthur, MP.
The widely criticised application was appealed to The Scottish Government before it had reached Edinburgh’s planning committee, removing the decision from the hands of locally elected councillors and placing it instead with a sole Scottish Government Reporter.
This has become a usual tactic in the armoury of developers who keep a close eye on the dates by which the council should determine planning applications. It has happened in the case of two student developments at Gillespie Crescent and on Eyre Place.
Philip Flockhart, conservation architect and spokesperson for the campaigners, said the outcome had disappointed residents who were failed by the planning process and the heritage body charged with protecting them.
He said: “This decision will heighten concern among communities across Edinburgh who are already worried about overtourism and the loss of residential character within the city.
“Residents resisted inappropriate high-density tourist accommodation becoming their neighbour within an important part of the World Heritage Site, but their voices have not been heard.
“There will now be understandable concern that this creates a roadmap for other heavily financed developers to pursue similarly intensive schemes while bypassing meaningful local democratic scrutiny.
“It should alarm people that an application condemned by residents, conservation organisations, all four local ward councillors and the local MP has nevertheless been approved through a process removed from local determination.”
Mr Flockhart confirmed that residents will be reviewing the decision carefully and considering the options that may still be available to them. It is however widely recognised that it is only applicants who have rights in planning matters and not neighbours.
The Cockburn Association had previously warned the development would cause “substantial and irreversible harm” to the buildings, while the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland repeatedly raised concerns over the “scale and intensity” of the proposed use.
Campaigners also renewed criticism of Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH), which unilaterally supported the proposals despite widespread opposition from residents, conservation organisations and elected representatives, before later attempting to distance itself from that position.
Mr Flockhart said: “We repeatedly asked EWH to clarify their position to the Reporter and their refusal to do so preserved their ill-judged position of support. They have failed to offer the protection to residential life in the World Heritage Site that is their prime purpose.”
Dr Scott Arthur MP said: “I am disappointed by the Reporter’s decision to approve the application for a 544-bed hostel at Atholl Crescent, despite the significant and sustained concerns raised by local residents.
“Throughout this process, residents have been clear about the likely impact on a quiet, established residential neighbourhood, including loss of amenity and increased noise, pressures on narrow streets and concerns about safety and security arising from such a large, 24-hour operation.
“While I respect the planning process and the role of the Reporter, I believe this decision will be difficult for many in the community to accept given the scale of the proposal and its location in a sensitive residential setting.
“I will continue to stand with residents as we work to understand the implications of this decision and ensure their concerns are addressed as far as possible in its implementation.”
Cllr Claire Miller, Green councillor for the city centre ward, said: “It’s really disappointing that the wealth of evidence provided by the residential community in the West End has been set to the side in this case. It goes to show that the voice of communities needs far more power, and I will be raising this with MSPs as a textbook example for the need for planning reforms.”
