BuildEdinburgh: News

In the news, w/e July 3

Editor — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 12:09:32 GMT

In today’s edition:

Provisional approval given to New Town Quarter, following appeal;
‘Urgent briefing’ agreed, to explain high schools’ alleged over-crowding;
Scottish Widows building earmarked for ‘selective demolition’ and hotel;
Three gold medals for Edinburgh entries in the architecture section of the Scottish Design Awards;
City Plan 2040: call for ideas issued and ‘first stage’ completed;
‘Public realm improvement’ contract being advertised for St Andrew Square;
Edinburgh named second most ‘beautiful’ city in the world;
Over-tourism concerns raised in Edinburgh Evening News feature;
Site news;
Pentlands to Portobello path;
Four Edinburgh buildings added to ‘at risk’ register;
George IV Bridge scaffolding;
‘Eco-friendly’ flats proposal submitted for Fairmilehead;
Uncertainty hangs over fate of city bridge;
Call reportedly made for more space to be allocated to pedestrians;
Cyclists feeling safer?;
Concern raised about food delivery eBikes on cycle paths;
Niddrie mural restored;
The fightback against Dutch elm disease;
Newhaven litter pick;
Relocation scheduled for Reiach and Hall Architects;
Reparation scheme clocks up just under 50,000 hours of ‘urban improvement’;
Review of outdoor seating charges being called for by petition; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Provisional approval given to New Town Quarter, following appeal

PROVISIONAL approval has been given to a ‘mixed-use’ development - known as the New Town Quarter - at the bottom of Dundas Street that had been rejected by the city council amid concerns of over-provision of student accommodation.

The site - previously occupied by Royal Bank of Scotland offices - had been the subject of a planning application - here, ref: 25/01899/FUL - that had been refused in December by the city council’s Development Management sub-committee, as reported here, on BuildEdinburgh.

But the developers - local firm, Ediston - successfully appealed the decision with the Scottish Government.

Says the adjudication by the government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) - here: “The reporter is minded to grant permission subject to a legal agreement being reached. The final decision has therefore been deferred for the period detailed in the Notice of Intention to allow the conclusion of that agreement.”

Construction work is currently ongoing at the site: the residential (and affordable housing) element of the scheme.

The story is picked up by the Broughton Spurtle eNewsletter, here.

‘Urgent briefing’ agreed, to explain high schools’ alleged over-crowding

CITY councillors have agreed that an ‘urgent briefing’ be pulled together to explain how alleged over-crowding issues, at two of Edinburgh’s most recently-built secondary schools, are going to be managed.

It follows an emergency motion submitted to the city council’s Education, Children and Families committee last week (here), that was accompanied by deputations from parent representation groups at James Gillespie’s and Boroughmuir high schools.

The motion read: “Committee agrees that this matter is urgent and requires immediate attention in advance of final staffing, timetabling and budget decisions for the 2026/27 academic year.

“Committee therefore requests: an urgent briefing within ten working days, involving senior officers, ward councillors, representatives of the Rising Rolls Working Group, and representatives of affected school communities, to provide a clear plan for managing school roll pressures in 2026/27 that includes: (1) Actions already agreed or in development; (2) Allocation of responsibilities for actions; and (3) A delivery timeline.”

The story has been picked up by The Scotsman’s Catriona Stewart, who writes, here: “Edinburgh city council has been told that pressure on space at Boroughmuir and James Gillespie’s high schools has become so severe that some vulnerable children are refusing to attend due to how stressful they find the building.”

Scottish Widows building earmarked for ‘selective demolition’ and hotel

WHAT is being described as ‘selective demolition’ of the former Scottish Widows category A-lised building on Dalkeith Road, is being applied for - to make way for a hotel.

A planning application - here, ref: 26/02724/LBC - has been submitted, which says the distinctive hexagonal blocks that front Dalkeith Road will be retained.

The architects are ICA, and the story has been picked up by Urban Realm website, here.

It is understood this proposal doesn’t contain any student accommodation but retains the housing element contained in a previously-approved application (here, ref: 22/04768/LBC).

Three gold medals for Edinburgh entries in the architecture section of the Scottish Design Awards

THREE Edinburgh entries in the architecture section of the Scottish Design Awards have been awarded gold medals.

In the Interior Design category, gold was secured for the transformation of a former engineering workshop on The Shore, in Leith, into the food and drink space, Brown’s of Leith.

Its designers are locally-based Gras, which also took silver in the Conservation category for its restoration of Preston Tower in East Lothian (here).

Meanwhile, the restoration of the University of Edinburgh students’ union building, Teviot Row House, earned gold in the Retrofit category, here.

And Edinburgh-based Jordan McCrae, at Collective Architecture, was named Young Architect of the Year (here).

In addition, there was a silver in the Future Building or Project category for renovation work scheduled for the Brutalist blocks of flats in Leith - Cables Wynd House and Linksview House (here, and reported by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here).

Meanwhile, in the Low Cost Project Schemes Under 250k category (here), there was a silver for the conversion of a semi-detached bungalow near Craigleith Road (Overlap House - here).

City Plan 2040: call for ideas issued and ‘first stage’ completed

A ‘CALL for ideas’ has been issued by the city council, to help shape its guiding planning principles and targets for the years 2030 to 2040.

An online survey has been launched by the city council about its City Plan 2040, here, with a deadline for comments being September 30.

Read more on the city council website, here, and on the website of the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Meanwhile, City Plan 2040 has already completed its ‘first stage’, and is now with the Scottish Government for ‘permission to progress’.

Says the city council, here: “The Evidence Report is the first stage of the City Plan 2040 process.

“We have completed [it] and it was approved by Planning committee on June 3 and agreed by [the full] council on June 25.

“It will be submitted to the Scottish Government for ‘gate check’, who will decide whether we have sufficient evidence to start to prepare the proposed plan.”

‘Public realm improvement’ contract being advertised for St Andrew Square

A CONTRACT worth an estimated £2.75m is being advertised, to carry out ‘public realm improvements’ at St Andrew Square.

The contract - uploaded on to the website, Public Contracts Scotland, here - is being offered by the city council.

Among the changes being sought is a two-way cycle lane on the east side of St David Street and along the north side of St Andrew Square and the removal of pay-and-display parking along the northern side of the square, to be replaced with blue badge spaces (for car users with a disability).

The story is picked by by Edinburgh Live website, here.

Edinburgh named second most ‘beautiful’ city in the world

A SURVEY of Edinburgh residents - asked if they would describe their city as ‘beautiful’ - has resulted in the city being named the second most ‘beautiful’ in the world.

Says media brand, Time Out (here), some 24,000 ‘urbanites’ were surveyed, worldwide - with Cape Town, in South Africa, coming out top.

Over-tourism concerns raised in Edinburgh Evening News feature

CONCERN has been reported that ‘over-tourism’ might threaten to jeopardise Edinburgh’s status as an UNESCO World Heritage site.

It has been raised - specifically by campaigners against what is being described as a ‘super hostel’ on Atholl Crescent - here in a feature by Callum McCormack in the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.

Read details of a ten-year Old and New Town management plan, here.

Site news

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Pentlands to Portobello path

A WALKING, wheeling and cycling path from the Pentland hills down to Portobello is considered by former city council leader, Donald Anderson, in his now weekly column for the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Four Edinburgh buildings added to ‘at risk’ register

TWO former cinemas are among four Edinburgh buildings that have been added to an ‘at risk’ register operated by an UK-wide heritage body.

The Odeon cinema on Clerk Street and The George on Bath Street, Portobello, have been added to a roster operated by SAVE Britain’s Heritage.

They are joined (as identified, here) by Leith’s Corn Exchange and a former warehouse / pub on Duke Street.

Until recently, the Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland, operated its own, comprehensive Buildings at Risk register, launched in 1990, that was organised by local authority. It is currently paused, under review (as noted, here).

The story is picked up by Urban Realm website, here, the BBC, here, and the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

George IV Bridge scaffolding

A LETTER to The Edinburgh Reporter website has asked for a timescale on the removal of scaffolding from the former G&V Hotel on George IV Bridge.

It follows an impression given at the beginning of last year that it would be soon.

Read more, here.

‘Eco-friendly’ flats proposal submitted for Fairmilehead

PLANNING permission is being sought, to build three ‘eco-friendly’ flats on the site of former public toilets at Fairmilehead crossroads.

A planning application - here, ref: 26/02374/FUL - concerns toilets sold by the city council ten years ago.

Says the application: “Planning permission was previously applied for to erect a three-storey single dwelling on the site (here, ref: 23/03691/FUL); however this was withdrawn.”

The architects are Kenneth Reid.

The story is picked up by Edinburgh Live website, here.

Uncertainty hangs over fate of city bridge

A WOODEN foot and cycle bridge in Powderhall has been closed to the public, because of safety concerns.

The bridge - over the Water of Leith and connecting with St Mark’s Park - is understood to have been built in 2008/09, from a hardwood that was claimed to require no preservative or maintenance.

According to answers - from the city council - to questions submitted by the local eNewsletter, the Broughton Spurtle, it’s not known how much it will cost to repair the bridge or whether it will even go ahead.

Read more, here.

Call reportedly made for more space to be allocated to pedestrians

A CALL has reportedly been made by well-known local architect, Malcolm Fraser, for more space to be allocated to pedestrians, in comparison to that given over to cyclists.

Fraser, is quoted - by The Scotsman’s transport correspondent, Alastair Dalton, here - saying he worries that cyclists have become “greedy”.

Fraser was a speaker at the annual general meeting (here) of the pedestrians group, Living Streets Edinburgh.

Fraser is also quoted saying the ‘zig-zag’ cycle way on Leith Walk is “the most dangerous and complex” cycle lane he knows.

Cyclists feeling safer?

MEANWHILE, the Edinburgh Inquirer’s Sarah McArthur writes about ‘why cyclists are starting to feel safer on the streets of the capital’ - here.

She writes: “One of [the] more interesting findings is the growing cycle traffic on Picardy Place. That suggests the much-mocked Leith Walk cycle lane - once dubbed the worst in Scotland - has helped increase the popularity of cycling on that route, despite the twisting and turning path it takes along the pavement.”

Concern raised about food delivery eBikes on cycle paths

ALSO, regular columnist on The Scotsman newspaper, Stephen Jardine, is concerned about eBikes being ridden by food delivery riders on the city’s walking and cycle paths.

In his Saturday column (here), the broadcaster - who is also president of the local heritage body, The Cockburn Association - writes why it might be time to restrict their access.

He is concerned about safety, because of the speed the bikes are often ridden at.

He writes: “Restricting their access to shared spaces like the urban cycle path network would be a move in the right direction.”

The previous day, The Edinburgh Reporter website ran a story, headlined: ‘Council leaders challenged over dangerous eBike use’.

Here.

Niddrie mural restored

A ‘COMMUNITY mural’ has been restored in Niddrie.

Reports the website, Deadline News (here), the work was carried out by volunteers over an 18-month period.

Read more, here (on the website of the Edinburgh Health & Social Care Partnership).

The fightback against Dutch elm disease

EDINBURGH’S fightback against the devastating consequences of Dutch elm disease is examined by the website, Edinburgh Inquirer.

The city council’s Trees and Woodlands officer, Ian Morrison, is quoted estimating that around 30,000 elms have been lost in the capital since it was first recorded in 1976.

Read more, here.

Newhaven litter pick

A LITTER pick is taking place on Tuesday evening, in Newhaven.

The event - at the Fishmarket - is being organised by regular litter pickers, the Edinburgh Trash Club.

More details, here.

Relocation scheduled for Reiach and Hall Architects

ONE of Edinburgh’s best-known architecture firms has purchased a former Royal Mail sorting office, on Strathearn Road, to become its new offices.

Reiach and Hall Architects currently operates out of offices on Darnaway Street.

Reparation scheme clocks up just under 50,000 hours of ‘urban improvement’

JUST under 50,000 hours of unpaid work was carried out last year in Edinburgh by people found guilty of a criminal offence and sentenced to a ‘community payback’ order.

Among the tasks carried out - as noted here, by the city council - was clearing-up work at a pavilion in Gyle Park, on Ferry Road and at Leith Theatre.

Views are being sought in an online consultation about the orders.

Here.

Review of outdoor seating charges being called for by petition

A PETITION has been launched, urging the city council to review how much it charges hospitality businesses for setting out outdoor seating and tables.

The appeal also asks for outdoor, advertising ‘A-boards’ to be permitted, under licence (they are currently banned).

The petition has been set up by the Leith-based Shore Business Collective. It is headlined: ‘Make Edinburgh tables and chairs charges fair and introduce licensed A boards for local businesses’.

It closes in September, here.

Details of how to petition the city council can be found, here.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

Six possible BuildEdinburgh petitions, perhaps?

To set up an information, skills and financing office to support resident-designed housing;
Launch an ‘open design competition’, to revamp Princes Street, Rose Street and George Street;
Launch a ‘restoration fund’, to contribute towards the maintenance and gradual improvement of Princes Street, Rose Street and George Street;
Make ‘open design competitions’ mandatory for housing developments (including student accommodation) in excess of 50 units and other buildings in excess of 10,000 sq ft;
Launch an explicit and public-facing campaign towards making every bus stop in the city sheltered (check these out, here) and served by an electronic arrivals boards; and
Redesign the planning applications portal, so that it is more interactive and easier to interrogate.

Image details: Overlooking the Water of Leith, at Bonnington; copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e June 26

Editor — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 12:14:34 GMT

In today’s edition:

Leith Docks housing development approved;
Student block provisionally approved, on appeal;
‘Bold, ambitious’ solutions being called for growing city;
‘Improvement plan’ expected to address ‘fragmented’ approach to city council’s ownership of buildings and land;
Insight into co-operative organisation;
£5m upgrade for West Pilton park;
Trio of Edinburgh entries pick up prizes at Homes awards;
Architectural practice ‘transitions’ to employee ownership;
Edinburgh professor appointed chair of ‘circular economy’ overseeing board;
‘Active travel’ project delays analysed;
Award-winning garden finally opens in Victoria Park;
Princes Street successor shops;
Padel courts permission being sought;
The flumes at the ‘Commie’;
Experience-sharing invite issued to heritage projects;
Marionville fire station - more;
Dunard Centre: piling work completed; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Leith Docks housing development approved

PLANNING-in-principle permission has been approved for a 240-250 unit housing development at Leith Docks.

The development - here, ref: 24/01341/PPP and 24/01343/LBC - is part of a wider ‘Harbour 31’ scheme. The site is north-west of Bath Road.

Says the owner, Forth Ports Ltd, here: “The apartments will be formed over a four-plot development with heights of up to six storeys, with a focus on communal green spaces.

“As well as benefiting from the tram stop at The Port of Leith, the proposed development will include a new transport corridor to encourage sustainable modes of transport, including a bus route, cycle lane and walking route linking Bath Road to Ocean Way.”

The permission was approved by the city council’s Development Management sub-committee, on Wednesday: here, agenda item 6.1.

The story is picked up The Edinburgh Reporter and Edinburgh Live websites, here and here.

Student block provisionally approved, on appeal

A PLANNING application for a 125-bed student accommodation block on a site on Gillespie Crescent has been provisionally approved, on appeal.

A Scottish Government ‘reporter’ has recommended approval of an appeal (here, ref: PPA-230-2711), following rejection last year by the city council.

Says the Planning and Environment Appeals Division (DPEA) of the Scottish Government: “The reporter is minded to grant permission, subject to a legal agreement being reached. The final decision has therefore been deferred for the period detailed in the Notice of Intention to allow the conclusion of that agreement.”

The scheme (here, ref: 25/02255/FUL) refused by the city council’s Development Management sub-committee in November was its second iteration.

A previous iteration had been refused by both the city council - two years ago - and the Scottish Government, on appeal.

The site - which will involve demolition of an existing complex - used to be owned by the visual impairment charity, Sight Scotland.

The story is picked up Deadline News website, here, and The Herald newspaper, here.

‘Bold, ambitious’ solutions being called for growing city

‘BOLD and ambitious’ solutions to a rapidly-growing Edinburgh are being called for, by the city council’s transport convener.

Writes Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, in Sunday’s edition of Scotland on Sunday newspaper: “Addressing these challenges [transport, climate change, housing, etc] means being bold and ambitious in our solutions.

“Mass transit, with trams at the heart, is one of the key drivers in making our city work better for everyone. Doing nothing, as some are suggesting, is simply not an option.”

In other words, he supports both the northern leg (which seems to be under some political threat) as well as the southern leg of a proposed new tram route connecting Granton with Little France.

Read more, here.

All the estimates point to quite the increase in the population of Edinburgh, to around 585,838 by 2047 (as noted, here).

And that’s before anticipated similar growth in East Lothian, Midlothian and West Lothian are factored into what could become a south-east Scotland metropolis.

‘Improvement plan’ expected to address ‘fragmented’ approach to city council’s ownership of buildings and land

AN ‘improvement plan’ is expected to be investigated by a city council committee, following a report describing the council’s approach to ‘strategic asset management’ - i.e. the many buildings and land holdings it owns - as “fragmented”.

Yesterday, a meeting of the full council - here, agenda item 7.6 - was asked to note a report by Audit Scotland, here, that concluded: “The council’s approach to strategic asset management is fragmented, which makes it harder for the council to make well-informed decisions about priorities. The council does not have an overarching corporate asset management strategy with its approach to asset management spread across several asset management strategies.”

The request to note was by the council’s Governance, Risk and Best Value committee, which is now expected to come up with a way forward on how best to address the issue.

Insight into co-operative organisation

AN event being hosted by the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative, in Bruntsfield, is aiming to help showcase the benefits of running an organisation as a co-operative entity.

Begins the event blurb - here: “Join members of Scottish co-operatives of all kinds for talks, workshops, communal meals… and more!”

It’s a full-day event, kicking off at 10am tomorrow.

One of the participants is Bath Street Housing Co-op.

£5m upgrade for West Pilton park

A PARK in West Pilton is to undergo a £5m restoration.

Says one of the two partners in the project - Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (the other partner being the city council): “The funding will deliver improvements across the park, including better access, modern play and skate facilities, new planting and enhanced habitats for wildlife.

“Together, these upgrades will help make West Pilton Park an attractive and welcoming destination for people of all ages to enjoy and use regularly.”

Construction work, which is scheduled to have already begun, is expected to be completed by November next year.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

Trio of Edinburgh entries pick up prizes at Homes awards

A TRIO of Edinburgh entries have been named winners at an annual awards competition, celebrating Scotland’s housing sector.

Picking up prizes at the Scottish Home Awards (here) were Umega Lettings & Estate Agents (Residential letting team); Village View, AMA Homes (Apartment development) and New Craig at Craighouse, Qmile Group (Renovation).

Architectural practice ‘transitions’ to employee ownership

AN Edinburgh architectural practice has ‘transitioned’ to employee ownership, after its owners decided to transfer their shares to an Employee Ownership Trust.

The announcement was made - here - by Smith Scott Mullan.

Edinburgh professor appointed chair of ‘circular economy’ overseeing board

A PROFESSOR at the Edinburgh Futures Institute has been named the chair of a board of experts tasked with overseeing efforts to minimise waste in the construction industry and maximise the re-use of materials.

A ‘mission board’ - including representation from the construction industry - has been set up by not-for-profit environment organisation, Zero Waste Scotland (which is primarily funded by the Scottish Government).

At the beginning of the month, Zero Waste Scotland launched a ‘roadmap’ to promote a ‘circular economy’ in the construction industry - here.

And its over-seeing ‘mission board’ is to be chaired by Prof. Sean Smith, who is director of the Centre for Future Infrastructure at the University of Edinburgh.

As announced here.

‘Active travel’ project delays analysed

AN analysis of a city council document - detailing pauses to an ‘active travel’ (walking, wheeling, cycling) programme (here) - has found 21 construction projects having their starts delayed and 22 current projects having their end points delayed.

With the longest delay estimated at one year, three months and the average delay one-and-a-half months.

The analysis has been carried out by Harry Williams, who runs City-Scope.co.uk, which tracks Edinburgh planning applications.

Award-winning garden finally opens in Victoria Park

A MULTI award-winning ‘sensory’ garden has finally been opened in Victoria Park.

Drakkars Drift has been designed by Leith resident, Luke Coleman.

Says the city council, here: “Following [his award-winning at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse, in South Yorkshire, last year], an ambitious community fundraising campaign was launched to secure the garden’s future in Edinburgh.

“The original design has since been adapted and expanded to transform a former bowling green in Victoria Park into a vibrant, accessible community space.

“The garden was shaped by feedback from residents, who expressed a desire for more sensory planting in the park. Particular attention has been given to texture, movement, colour, scent and sound, creating an engaging and inclusive experience for all visitors.”

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Princes Street successor shops

TWO shop premises on Princes Street that suddenly had their doors shut just a few days ago have been taken over by two new names above the door.

Where previously it was House of Treasure and The Edinburgh Gift Vault, it is now Toyland and Scottish Gifts.

Meanwhile, 7DaySmart, next door, also has a new name above its entrance: Essentials.

Padel courts permission being sought

PLANNING permission is being sought for the erection of two, covered padel courts in Stockbridge.

The application - here, ref: 26/02499/FUL - is for a site on Portgower Place, “within the wider Edinburgh Academicals [rugby club] / Raeburn Place sports grounds”.

Read more, here, on the website, City-Scope.

The flumes at the ‘Commie’

THE former flumes at the Royal Commonwealth Pool? Read more about them, on the website of local historian, Andy Arthur, here.

Experience-sharing invite issued to heritage projects

A CALL has been issued for heritage projects to share their experiences.

It comes from the Scottish Civic Trust, as part of a ‘Community Heritage Conversation’ it is hosting in November.

Read more, here.

Marionville fire station - more

THE headline to an article on the website, Edinburgh Inquirer, reads: ‘The battle to save Marionville Fire Station is far from over’.

Read more, here.

Dunard Centre: piling work completed

PILING (foundation) work has been completed in the build of a new 1,000-seat concert venue - between St Andrew Square and the St James Quarter.

Says the Dunard Centre, here: “In another significant milestone, one of the two tower cranes required for the project has now been installed, creating a striking visual marker of the on-site progress. Works are progressing on time and to budget, with practical completion of the world-class venue expected in 2029.”

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

Image details: Granton harbour; all images copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e June 19

Editor — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 12:30:06 GMT

In today’s edition:

Western Harbour - 212 homes application;
Braids estate traffic diversion barriers to be removed;
Powderhall ‘active travel’ path campaign boosted by MSP’s support;
Average house price, Scotland;
Reprieve expected for Marionville fire station;
New retail space being applied for at Fort Kinnaird;
Budget request submitted to employ additional ‘problem landlord’ officers;
Scottish Government to be asked to define a ‘green’ data centre;
Apartments plan lodged for Leith-based Victorian engine shed;
Fringe Society HQ unveiled;
Office-to-’apart-hotel’ conversion plan submitted;
Willowbrae Road gap site the subject of hotel planning application;
‘Wembley Way’ plan unveiled for Royal Highland Centre;
Obituary published of ‘saviour’ of Edinburgh’s built heritage;
Water of Leith: challenges and celebrations;
After Holyrood, has Scottish architecture lost its verve?
Perks for paying subscribers; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Western Harbour - 212 homes application

A PLANNING application has been submitted to build 212 homes at Western Harbour.

The application follows a Proposal of Application Notice - here, ref: 25/06573/PAN - submitted in December..

Says a media release on behalf of the applicant -house builders, Cullross: “Extensive engagement with the local community has taken place over recent months, including two well-attended public consultation events in January and February at the Heart of Newhaven, where 116 people participated across both sessions.

“Meetings have also been held with key stakeholders, including Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council and Western Harbour Owners’ Association.”

Read more, on western-harbour.com. Read more, here, on the website of the PR company that issued the media release.

Braids estate traffic diversion barriers to be removed

A NARROW 6-5 vote has agreed to remove traffic diversion barriers on the Braids estate, while accepting that a similar ‘modal filter’ on Canaan Lane should remain.

The barriers include where Braid Road meets Hermitage Drive.

In what must rank as one of the longest and most diverse debates about a specific topic at the city council’s Transport and Environment committee yesterday (here, agenda item 7.3), it essentially came down to the risk of a legal challenge (against a decision to keep the ‘filters’) versus providing safe spaces, particularly for young people.

The long-lasting deliberations - remarked upon during the debate, since other city areas having their own issues - was preceded by several deputations and included a presentation from Cllr Ben Parker (in favour of keeping the filters, supporting deputations from local school groups).

Powderhall ‘active travel’ path campaign boosted by MSP’s support

A CAMPAIGN to turn a former rail line in north Edinburgh into an ‘active travel’ (walking, cycling and wheeling) route has reportedly received the backing of a local MSP.

Writes Sarah Challen Flynn, in Sunday’s edition of The National newspaper, here: “Since trains stopped running on the Powderhall railway line between St Mark’s Park and Meadowbank - in north Edinburgh, ten years ago - the line has remained vacant.”

And she quotes local MSP, Ben Macpherson, saying a path requires to be opened to the general public “sooner rather than later”.

Among other things, land ownership - involving rail infrastructure organisation, Network Rail - requires resolving.

The campaign is quoted, as saying: “We want to get people thinking about how [the path] could be used (ie not just a cycle path) and how it might progress.”

Suggestions include benches, children’s play space, murals, gardening sites and ecological conservation.

Average house price, Scotland

THE average price of a house in Scotland - during April - was £192,000 - according to the National Records of Scotland.

Says NRS, here, £192,000 represents at 2.8 per cent increase on the same time last year, and a 2.7 per cent increase on the average price in March.

Reprieve expected for Marionville fire station

AN Edinburgh fire station is expected to saved from closure, according to a recommendation to be presented to the board of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The station - in Marionville - had been subject to a high-profile campaign to save it from closure.

And the campaign appears to have paid off - here. At least for now.

The SFRS board is meeting on Monday.

The story is picked up by The Edinburgh Reporter website, here.

New retail space being applied for at Fort Kinnaird

A PLANNING application has been submitted to add over 40,000 sq ft of new space at Fort Kinnaird retail park.

Say the owners, British Land: “Plans include a new c.19,750 sq ft food store on the ground floor, alongside a c.22,785 sq ft enhanced leisure offering on the first floor, supporting the continued growth of the destination’s leisure quarter and enhancing the overall visitor experience. Once complete, the new destinations would bring more than 60 new jobs to the local area.

“Located alongside Fort Kinnaird’s established leisure and food offering, including ODEON cinema, Wagamama and Nando’s, the plans have been devised with sustainability in mind. When designing the building services, both tenants will include air-source heat pumps and photovoltaic systems.”

The planning application (here, ref: 26/02450/FUL) says: “The application site is a brownfield gap site which has been vacant for over 18 years, following the demolition of portions of the original 1989 Craig Park retail and leisure development. The original development incorporated cinema and retail space created in 1990.”

The architects are Cooper Cromar.

The story is picked up by several media outlets, including Edinburgh Live website, here, and The Herald and Scotsman newspapers, here and here.

Budget request submitted to employ additional ‘problem landlord’ officers

SIX additional ‘enforcement officers’ could be taken on, to police ‘problem’ landlords in Edinburgh’s private rented sector.

Particularly those landlords who don’t ‘adequately’ maintain their properties.

A budget of £350,000 is being sought, to employ the six new officers, to be considered by a meeting on Tuesday of the council’s Finance and Resources committee (here, agenda item 8.7).

Read the papers to be considered by the committee members, here.

They say: “The council has a duty to regulate the private rented sector, ensuring that all properties meet the required standards and that licence holders and landlords are fit and proper. Failure to meet the duty to regulate the sector may result in poor healthand wellbeing outcomes for tenants, and result in reputational damage to the council.”

The story is picked up by ‘local democracy reporter’, Joe Sullivan (his post paid for by the BBC), here.

Scottish Government to be asked to define a ‘green’ data centre

THE Scottish Government is to be asked to define what is meant by a ‘green’ data centre after city council officials advised that councillors did not necessarily have the powers to agree a definition themselves.

Or apply a moratorium.

Wednesday’s Planning committee (here, agenda item 7.1) considered a paper (here) from officials.

But the committee decided to back a ‘tougher’ set of demands - proposed by the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens: that the Scottish Government also declares a moratorium on new data centres until an official definition is provided.

In February, members of the council’s Development Management sub-committee rejected a planning-in-principle application (here, 25/04239/PPP) for such a centre, on Redheughs Avenue, in South Gyle - as reported, here, on BuildEdinburgh.

It was felt that a Scottish Government definition will make it easier for the council to adjudicate on centre applications to it.

The story is picked up by The Herald and Edinburgh Evening News newspapers, here and here.

Apartments plan lodged for Leith-based Victorian engine shed

WHAT is being described by the applicant as a “badly-neglected Victorian engine shed” in Leith is the subject of a planning application, to turn it into four serviced apartments.

The application - here, ref: 26/02166/FULSTL - concerns a property on Ocean Drive.

The architects are Johnston-Harris Architects.

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Fringe Society HQ unveiled

A NEW, permanent home for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has been unveiled.

It follows refurbishment of a former schoolhouse on Infirmary Street.

Says the Fringe Society, here: “New features include air source heat pumps, an accessible Changing Places toilet and a new lift, all while preserving the history and aesthetic of both the building and the surrounding area.”

The story is picked up by broadcasters, STV, here.

Office-to-’apart-hotel’ conversion plan submitted

A CHANGE-of-use planning application has been submitted to convert an office block at the Pleasance into an ‘apart-hotel’, comprising 23 suites.

The application - here, ref: 26/02219/FUL - is for 181 Pleasance, opposite Carnegie Court. It has been submitted by Format Design Architectural Services.

The story is picked up by the website, Edinburgh Live, here.

Willowbrae Road gap site the subject of hotel planning application

A GAP site on Willowbrae Road is now the subject of a 82-room hotel planning application.

The application - here, ref: 26/02294/FUL - involves a site once occupied by a pub.

Writes Kevin Quinn, of the Edinburgh Evening News, here: “The site at the junction with Northfield Drive was most recently occupied by the Radical Road pub, previously the Right Wing owned by Hibs legend, Gordon Smith, but has been an empty gap site for around eight years now.”

The architects are Unum Partnership.

‘Wembley Way’ plan unveiled for Royal Highland Centre

THE Royal Highland Centre, at Ingliston, has unveiled a five-year plan that imagines the venue as a “year-round destination for events, conferences, exhibitions and live entertainment”.

Adds a media release on behalf of the centre, which is owned by the Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland: “Beyond the initial five-year strategy, the longer-term ambitions for the site include the creation of a new boulevard connecting the venue to Edinburgh's tram network, alongside the potential for restaurants, bars, cafés, retail developments and hotels that are already in development, that would help transform the area into a thriving destination in west Edinburgh.”

In the media - for instance, here - the boulevard is being described as being a version of the ‘Wembley Way’.

Obituary published of ‘saviour’ of Edinburgh’s built heritage

AN obituary has been published for Oliver Barratt, remembered for his role in protecting Edinburgh’s historic built environment through the local heritage body, The Cockburn Association.

Said The Scotsman newspaper last week, here: “He fought to protect the historic fabric of the city during a period when the value of historic buildings, architecture and the people who lived and worked in them were not as appreciated as they are today.”

Barratt was the secretary of The Cockburn Association between 1971 and 1992.

He died in April and The Cockburn Association almost immediately published its own tribute, here.

Water of Leith: challenges and celebrations

SEWAGE discharges and tensions between different types of users - such as cyclists and walkers - are among the challenges facing the Water of Leith at Balerno, Currie and Juniper Green, according to its local MP.

Dr Scott Arthur hosted a meeting, seeking views about the Water of Leith, which also recognised the many benefits of the river, including mental health ones.

As reported, here, on Dr Arthur’s website.

After Holyrood, has Scottish architecture lost its verve?

THE questions being asked of the Scottish Parliament are: (1) whether it has “strengthened a culture of design that prioritises long-term value”, and (2) whether its “legacy has encouraged more cautious approaches to procurement, cost and risk”.

Find out more at this year’s Festival of Politics, on August 28, in Edinburgh.

Here.

Perks for paying subscribers

PAYING subscribers of BuildEdinburgh have been able to meet twice recently in person - on June 4, at the ‘Diggers’ pub, and last Saturday, at the Fruitmarket Gallery cafe - to chat about future editorial and possible campaigns.

Since Monday, they have also been given the opportunity to comment on articles on the site.

Comments are being moderated so that they are informative, reasoned, full, insightful and respectful: exactly, how the site as a whole seeks to operate.

With your help, as a paying subscriber, we together could achieve great things.

By being able to hire journalists, the site could become a daily news service (including much more detailed reporting of city council committees) followed at the weekend by long-form editorial.

It is just £30 a year or £3.50 a month. That’s less than £1 a week.

Image details: Canongate; copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e June 12

Editor — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:20:41 GMT

In today’s edition:

Yes-no decision expected soon on proposed new tram route;
The story of Edinburgh’s ‘north cycle path network’;
Upgrade work begun at Saughton Arena sports complex;
North Bridge reportedly set to fully reopen by August;
Five more ‘firework control zones’ agreed;
Councillors reject proposal to open private New Town gardens to the general public;
Full refurbishment plans announced for Canning Street office block;
Exhibition next week of King’s Theatre history;
Football mural graces Princes Street hoarding;
Further recognition for Edinburgh Futures Institute building;
Objection being recommended against possible Westfield Court listing;
Anderson pens peaen to Craigmillar;
Crowdfunder launched for Colinton community hub;
‘Green’ data centres: councillors warned off;
‘Lifeless’ street expected to be ‘transformed’ by student accommodation block approval;
Correction: It’s two shops that were suddenly closed on Princes Street; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Yes-no decision expected soon on proposed new tram route

CITY councillors are to be asked in September whether the plans to build a second tram line in the city (linking Granton in the north with Little France in the south) should proceed or not.

It follows the results of two research exercises - a city council-run online ‘consultation hub’, accompanied by in-person events, and, separately, direct interviews by a market research firm.

Say papers (here) to be considered on Thursday, by the city council’s Transport and Environment committee (here, agenda item 8.1), the council’s ‘consultation hub’, attracted 11,425 responses, while the direct interviews involved 1,209 people.

Broadly, the online consultation exercise delivered mixed results: 53 per cent oppose the whole north-south scheme, 40 per cent support and six per cent neither support nor oppose. And the market research delivered 19 per cent oppose, 47 per cent support and 34 per cent neither support nor oppose.

Section 4.12 of the papers provides details of all the options, including the northern leg of the proposed line going along either Roseburn Path or Orchard Brae.

The papers add: “The outputs from the consultation and market research will inform a strategic business case that is being developed and will be presented to Transport and Environment committee on September 20 when councillors will be asked for a decision on next steps for the trams from Granton to BioQuarter and beyond.

“This could include proceeding with all or any element of the proposal to outline business case stage, subject to funding; proceeding with workstreams to amend the current proposal, subject to funding; ceasing and / or pausing temporarily work on the project.”

It is understood there is no requirement for the Transport and Environment committee to have its decision about the strategic business case ratified (or otherwise) by the full city council.

The story is picked up by, among others, Edinburgh Live website, here.

And The Edinburgh Inquirer’s reading of the papers is Edinburgh ‘warming’ to the proposals (here).

The Scotsman newspaper quotes Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, convener of the Transport and Environment committee, describing the polls findings as “fairly inconclusive” (here).

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, it was being reported that Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland, have raised concerns about the integrity of Dean Bridge, were the Orchard Brae option to be pursued.

Writes The Herald’s Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, here, HES is also concerned about the integrity of both North Bridge and South Bridge, for a possible southern leg of the proposed tram line.

The story of Edinburgh’s ‘north cycle path network’

THE story of one of Edinburgh’s first cycle paths - the ‘north Edinburgh cycle path network’ - is being told by local historian, Andy Arthur, on his website, Threadedinburgh (here).

Upgrade work begun at Saughton Arena sports complex

WORK has begun, upgrading the athletics facilities at the Saughton Arena sports complex.

Announcing the work, here, operators, Edinburgh Leisure, said: “Funded by The City of Edinburgh Council, the investment will support the long-term future of a site that plays a vital role in the city’s athletics network. [Governing body] Scottish Athletics has identified Edinburgh as one of eight priority regions in its national facilities strategy, underlining the importance of protecting and improving provision in this part of the city.”

The work began on Monday.

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

In February, BuildEdinburgh posted the idea (here) of reconfiguring the area largely for housing, to help pay for the construction of a spectator stand (and associated facilities, such as changing rooms, club rooms and a cafe) along the length of the touchline of the 11-a-side artificial grass pitch.

North Bridge reportedly set to fully reopen by August

NORTH Bridge is reportedly set to fully reopen by the start of the Edinburgh Festivals in August - following years of restoration work

Begins The Herald newspaper’s Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, here: “Eight years after work first began on Edinburgh’s North Bridge, the finish line is finally in sight. Last week, The Herald was granted an exclusive first look at the renovated Victorian-era behemoth.”

Five more ‘firework control zones’ agreed

FIVE new ‘firework control zones’ have been approved, bringing the total to 14 areas where private fireworks are restricted around Bonfire Night.

The new ‘zones’ are Liberton Grange, Lochend, Stenhouse/Gaskell Street, West Pilton and Wester Hailes.

They join already-operating (from last year) Corstorphine, Longstone, Moredun, Sighthill/Broomhouse and The Murrays (previously called Gracemount), plus (from two years’ ago) Niddrie, Seafield, Balerno and Calton Hill.

Says the city council, here: “The decision builds on the positive impact of previous years’ measures, with Edinburgh experiencing significantly lower levels of firework-related anti-social behaviour compared with earlier years.”

The story is picked up by, among others, STV, here.

Councillors reject proposal to open private New Town gardens to the general public

COUNCILLORS have rejected a proposal to open private New Town gardens - on a voluntary basis - to the public in exchange for council maintenance and insurance support.

It followed a motion submitted by Scottish Greens councillor, Cllr Dan Heap, which was considered by Monday’s city council’s Culture and Communities committee (here, agenda item 5.1) - which requested a report by December on the viability of such a scheme, which has taken inspiration from St Andrew Square which has been open to the public since 2008.

But it was voted down, six-to-five. The story has been picked up by, among others, The Herald and The Scotsman newspapers, here and here.

Full refurbishment plans announced for Canning Street office block

AN office block on Canning Street is set to be fully refurbished, following its purchase by a Scottish property company.

Says Knight Property Group, here, about Atholl Exchange: “[We are] set to undertake a comprehensive refurbishment and repositioning programme, aimed at enhancing the quality and occupier experience within the building. Planned works include the full refurbishment of the vacant floors, upgrades to the atrium, common parts and improvements to the external frontage.”

The story is picked up by the website, Urban Realm, here.

Exhibition next week of King’s Theatre history

A FREE exhibition about the history of the King's Theatre, in Tollcross, is taking place ahead of its imminent reopening.

It is being held next week at Barclay Viewforth Church, Monday to Thursday (10am to 5pm) and Friday (10am to 4pm).

For more details: here.

Football mural graces Princes Street hoarding

A PORTRAIT of Scotland footballer, Scott McTominay, has appeared on a hoarding on Princes Street - ahead of the national team playing in the FIFA men’s World Cup, its first match taking place over the weekend.

The hoarding has been erected in front of a gap site (following a demolition) that is scheduled to be taken up by a Ruby Group hotel.

This photo was taken on Tuesday afternoon.

Further recognition for Edinburgh Futures Institute building

AN Edinburgh building that was named two weeks ago (here) among ten winners of an awards competition run by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), has been twice further recognised.

The Edinburgh Futures Institute - by Bennetts Associates - has taken two of seven ‘special category’ prizes at the awards: innovation and interior design.

Read more, here.

Objection being recommended against possible Westfield Court listing

THE city council is being asked to lodge an objection should a high-rise block of flats in Gorgie be protected from demolition by a listing from the Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

News that HES might apply a listing to Westfield Court - in which the city council is a ‘minority owner’ - was enough to recently convince members of the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee (here) to pause a scheme to ‘buyback’ properties in the block, in order to gain a majority to proceed with demolition.

It has been estimated the refurbishment costs for the block are around £500,000 per flat.

The recommendation to ‘object’ can be found in papers (here) being presented to the city council’s Planning committee on Wednesday (here, agenda item 7.3).

The story is picked up by the website, The Edinburgh Reporter, here.

Anderson pens peaen to Craigmillar

A PEAEN to Craigmillar has been penned by former city council leader, Donald Anderson.

In a column published by the Edinburgh Evening News, here, he writes of sometimes considerable improvement on many fronts: population numbers, life expectancy, employment / unemployment, education attainment levels, car ownership and - significantly - crime.

He also praises the volunteer effort that’s taking place there.

Anderson has a regular, weekly column in the Edinburgh Evening News.

He currently volunteers in Craigmillar, as chair of The Eastern Synergy Group, which brings together ‘Third Sector’ organisations in the area.

Crowdfunder launched for Colinton community hub

A CROWDFUNDER has been launched to complete the fit-out of a community hub in Colinton.

A target £50,000 is being sought for the hub, which is located in Spylaw Park, for residents in both Colinton and the wider south-west of Edinburgh.

Donate here.

‘Green’ data centres: councillors warned off

CITY councillors have been warned off seeking to impose a moratorium on the building of ‘green’ data centres.

On Wednesday, members of the council’s Planning committee will also hear (here, agenda item 7.1) - from officers (here) - that the council should not provide its own definition of what a ‘green’ data centre is.

The move follows members of the council’s Development Management sub-committee rejecting a planning-in-principle application (here, 25/04239/PPP) for such a centre, on Redheughs Avenue - as reported, here, on BuildEdinburgh.

There was also an approved motion at a full council meting in March (here, agenda item 8.5) seeking a definition of a ‘green’ data centre.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

‘Lifeless’ street expected to be ‘transformed’ by student accommodation block approval

BEGINS local architects, 7N Architects, here: “We are delighted that our proposal for student accommodation [here, ref: 25/05524/FUL] for the Ardent Group at Russell Road has been approved by The City of Edinburgh’s Planning committee*.

“The 182-room brownfield development, adjacent to the council’s new cycle path between Roseburn and the Union Canal, will transform a lifeless street and bring new activity to the area.”

* It was Development Management sub-committee, on Wednesday: here, agenda item 7.1. It was approved by a 7-2 vote.

Correction: It’s two shops that were suddenly closed on Princes Street

LAST week, BuildEdinburgh reported that a trio of adjacent shops had suddenly closed on Princes Street.

That seemed to be the case, last week, but - when we checked on Wednesday - one of the three, 7DaySmart, was open and operating.

Apologies for any inconvenience. The two closed are: House of Treasure and The Edinburgh Gift Vault.

Last week’s BuildEdinburgh has been amended.

Image details: St Andrew’s Catholic Church; copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e June 5

Editor — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:44:09 GMT

In today’s edition:

Council halts ‘buyback’ scheme at Westfield Court;
Granton Waterfront: in-person update on regeneration programme;
International retrofitting conference set for September;
Big house building programme approved;
Draft Astley Ainslie ‘place brief’ expected in September;
RSA annual exhibition ending on the 14th;
The cost of a weekend break in Edinburgh;
Craigentinny litter pick;
Co-chairs appointed to oversee east Edinburgh £20m ‘Pride in Place’ programme;
Green light for Wester Hailes adventure playground;
Care facility public consultation events scheduled;
South Bridge paint job;
Average house price, Scotland;
‘Affordable’ housing construction completed at Blackford;
Do consider becoming a paying subscriber;
Duo of Princes Street stores closed;
Council to withdraw providing factoring service in four blocks of flats;
Fines regime agreed for visitor levy evasion;
Call to be made to open city’s large private gardens;
On the road with the city’s fly-tipping team; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Council halts ‘buyback’ scheme at Westfield Court

FLATS in the Gorgie high-rise block, Westfield Court - which is facing a prohibitively expensive repair bill of circa £500,000 per property - are no longer going to be purchased by the city council, in order to achieve the majority ownership necessary to proceed with demolition.

The council currently owns 32 of the 94 flats in the block (as noted, here, on the council website).

Members of the council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee voted 6-5 on Monday (here, agenda item 4.4) to halt a ‘buyback’ scheme, after it emerged the building could be protected against demolition by a ‘listing’ from Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland (as noted in last week’s BuildEdinburgh, here).

Said papers (here) presented to members: “Officers believe it is likely that listed status will be awarded and therefore feel that the full ownership strategy is no longer appropriate. On that basis, no further work will be undertaken to purchase properties in the block until we are notified of a final decision.”

The story is picked up by, among others, broadcasters, STV (here), and The Herald newspaper, (here).

Granton Waterfront: in-person update on regeneration programme

AN in-person update on the regeneration of the Granton Waterfront is being held later this month.

A ‘drop-in’ event has been scheduled for the 22nd, taking place between 4pm and 7pm; details here.

International retrofitting conference set for September

AN international conference - exploring how to reduce energy demand in buildings, enhance building performance, decarbonise heating systems and reimagine how buildings can be reused - is taking place in Edinburgh in September.

Details of the International Retrofit Conference - being organised by innovation centre, BE-ST (Built Environment, Smarter Transformation) - can be found here.

Big house building programme approved

BEGINS a city council announcement: “Councillors have agreed a programme for this financial year to spend more than £207m on improving and expanding council housing across the city.”

Adds the announcement, here: “On Monday, members of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee approved the 2026/27 Housing Revenue Account capital programme for investment, which is part of the Housing Revenue Account Budget Strategy 2026/27 to 2035/36.

“The programme includes a commitment of over £111m for house building in 2026-27, contributing to the development of around 4,275 new affordable houses over the next five years.

“This is the first year of a major intervention to address the housing emergency [announced in November three years ago, here] through the allocation of a total £1.3 billion to deliver settled homes over five years.”

Draft Astley Ainslie ‘place brief’ expected in September

A CITY council-produced draft ‘place brief’ for the Astley Ainslie ‘hospital’ site in Morningside - which is being partly released by NHS Lothian - is expected to be drawn up by September.

Says the Astley Ainslie Community Trust, it hopes the city council will take on board many of the suggestions contained in a Local Place Plan (here) that it has produced for the area.

An update from the Trust, here, begins: “As you may or may not know, there has been increased contractor activity on the Astley Ainslie site, and, probably because of this, inaccurate rumours are circulating.”

RSA annual exhibition ending on the 14th

QUICK reminder: the annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy (at the bottom of The Mound, and which includes two architecture rooms) ends on the 14th of this month.

Details, here.

The cost of a weekend break in Edinburgh

A TWO-night stay for two people in a three-star hotel in Edinburgh is estimated to be the most expensive among Europe’s capital cities.

And when other aspects of a weekend stay are factored in - e.g. a beer, bus or train travel into the city centre from the airport, etc - Scotland’s capital has been found to be third most expensive.

According to a survey conducted by the Post Office - here - the two-night stay for two has been estimated at £462, ahead of Barcelona (£457) and Dublin (£455).

In terms of the estimated overall cost of a weekend in Edinburgh, it is third (at £668.10), behind Copenhagen (£670.65) and Oslo (£733.99).

At £248.39, Sarajevo is estimated to be the least expensive weekend break.

Craigentinny litter pick

A LITTER pick is taking place behind Craigentinny golf course, on Tuesday evening.

It is being organised by the city-wide litter picking group, Edinburgh Trash Club, which is suggesting a 7pm start, meeting at Craigentinny Avenue North (at the Arnold Clark premises).

And, elsewhere, there is a ‘Big Forth Cleanup’ scheduled for August 28-30, as detailed here.

Co-chairs appointed to oversee east Edinburgh £20m ‘Pride in Place’ programme

TWO co-chairs have been appointed to oversee a £20m scheme - over the next ten years - to help regenerate parts of east Edinburgh, including Niddrie and Craigmillar.

Writes Donald Anderson, former council leader and now, among other things, chair of the volunteer group forum, Eastern Synergy Group: “The Pride in Place fund will help regenerate and transform important neighbourhoods in the east of the city.”

And the co-chairs for the scheme have been named as ‘local campaigners’, Miranda Baird and Bill Wishart.

Continues Anderson, in the Edinburgh Evening News, here: “Targeted spending on improving the public realm, cleanliness and attractiveness of the local environment is at the cutting edge of regeneration and as research in America has proven, improving the local environment in Chicago reduced crime and anti-social behaviour and improved health and wellbeing. The communities of east Edinburgh should see an improvement and soon hopefully.”

Green light for Wester Hailes adventure playground

PLANNING permission has been given for an adventure playground in Wester Hailes, that will be part-designed by the users.

The scheme - proposed by Wester Hailes Growing Community, which explains the project here - was approved by planning officials, as detailed, here.

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Care facility public consultation events scheduled

TWO public consultation events are being held, for people to find out more about plans for a 132-bed residential care facility neighbouring the Braid Hills Golf Centre.

The events are required of the Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) that has been submitted for the Braid Hills Nursing Centre site on Liberton Drive.

The PAN details can be found, here (ref: 26/02266/PAN).

It says: “Proposed replacement of existing 119-bed care home with new 132-bed care home and associated retirement / specialist care accommodation to meet current Care Inspectorate standards.”

The events are both taking place at the site: Wednesday, July, 8, 3pm-7pm, and Wednesday, August 5, 3pm-7pm.

South Bridge paint job

EXTERNAL painting has been completed on a key building on South Bridge.

Scaffolding was scheduled to be taken down yesterday, at the site near the crossroads with the High Street, to reveal a gleaming frontage comprising mainly ‘Coral Silk’ (PPG no. 11955).

The job was carried out by IRO Painting & Decorating.

Average house price, Scotland

THE average price of a house in Scotland, in March, was £187,000 - according to the Registers of Scotland.

Says RoS, here, that's 1.6 per cent higher than 12 months ago but 0.2 per cent lower than in February.

‘Affordable’ housing construction completed at Blackford

CONSTRUCTION has been completed on what is being described as the ‘first affordable homes in Blackford for 60 years’.

Says house builder, Cala, the 12 homes - on the site of the former St Crispin’s School - have been handed over to social housing specialists, Wheatley.

The story is picked up by ProjectScotland.com, here.

Do consider becoming a paying subscriber

LAST night, a group of paying subscribers met at ‘The Diggers’ pub, to brainstorm ideas for website - ranging from Princes Street to Granton to cohousing - and how to begin building a social media presence.

There was a real energy and lots of laughter too, and you can be part of it by upgrading your free subscription to paying.

Soon, paying members will get to decide what editorial the site should seek to pursue over the coming weeks.

Duo of Princes Street stores closed

NO sooner had they appeared on Princes Street, but two adjacent stores have been closed: House of Treasure and The Edinburgh Gift Vault.

Council to withdraw providing factoring service in four blocks of flats

THE city council is to withdraw from providing a factoring service in four blocks of flats where it is a ‘minority owner’.

The decision - taken by the council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, on Monday (here) - concerns Coillesdene House in Joppa and Saunders Street blocks in Stockbridge.

The story is picked up by Edinburgh Live website, here.

Fines regime agreed for visitor levy evasion

ACCOMMODATION providers who evade charging a levy on visitors for overnight stays in the city, face a fines regime - with fines of up to £49,350 theoretically possible.

A fines framework was approved by the city council’s Policy and Sustainability committee (here, agenda item 7.3).

The levy comes into force on the 24th of next month, as detailed here.

For individual short-term lets, the proposed fines framework (here) anticipates between £1,084 and £3,983.

The possibility of nearly £50,000 would apply to commercial operators. But papers presented to committee members also anticipate a fine for them as low as £405.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here, and Edinburgh Live website, here.

Call to be made to open city’s large private gardens

A CALL is to be made on Monday, for a voluntary scheme that could see the city’s large private gardens - such as Charlotte Square - opened to the general public, potentially in return for maintenance and insurance being provided by the council.

Cllr Dan Heap has tabled a motion - to be considered by the city council’s Culture and Communities committee (here, agenda item 5.1) - requesting a report by December on the viability of such a scheme, which is taking inspiration from St Andrew Square which has been open to the public since 2008.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

On the road with the city’s fly-tipping team

IT costs an estimated £2m a year for the council to clean up fly-tipping, according to a feature on the Edinburgh Inquirer website, titled, ‘On the road with the city’s fly-tipping team’. Read it here (subscription required).

All images: copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e May 29

Editor — Fri, 29 May 2026 14:11:41 GMT

In today’s edition:

‘Affordability’ requirement to be investigated for student accommodation projects;
Planning application resubmitted for three-flat block on Bath Road;
Bingo hall conversion plans lodged;
Two Edinburgh buildings named winners in architectural award;
New president named at architects’ body;
New president for Edinburgh architects’ body;
Building procurement concerns voiced;
Youth homelessness charity receives keys towards ‘supported accommodation’ programme;
Refurbishment plans announced by the National Galleries of Scotland;
‘Tram Train’ scheme takes another step forward;
Future of Westfield Court thrown into doubt by ‘listing’ possibility;
Fountain Park pub plan reportedly withdrawn;
Former St Stephen’s Church reportedly for sale;
Green light given for Gorgie ‘apart-hotel’ proposal;
Work begins on new Edinburgh Park neighbourhood;
The tale of the former Bonnington Bridge bar;
Please do consider supporting BuildEdinburgh; and
Enjoy, see you next week!

‘Affordability’ requirement to be investigated for student accommodation projects

PURPOSE-built student accommodation proposals could soon face having to fall into line with other forms of new-build residential housing projects, by allocating 35 per cent of their schemes as ‘affordable’.

It follows a motion at a meeting last week of the full council (here, agenda item 8.9).

It called for an affordable threshold to be investigated by council officers.

The motion - by the SNP - also accepted a Scottish Greens addendum that “alternative management models for PBSA developments, such as housing co-operatives” be explored.

Councillors heard of students being homeless, not least because of monthly rents of upwards of £1,400.

At the start of the meeting, members heard a deputation from Living Rent, which describes itself as ‘a tenants and community union’ (from the 0:30:40 mark on the meeting webcast, here).

There was also debate whether PBSA should also begin to pay business rates.

The story is picked up by Deadline News website, here. There’s a biggish feature too about it on the website, Edinburgh Inquirer, here.

Planning application resubmitted for three-flat block on Bath Road

A PLANNING application has been resubmitted - for a gap site on Bath Road, just off Salamander Street.

The application - here, ref: 26/01831/FUL - has had to be resubmitted because a previous, approved application had expired.

This application is for three flats and an extension to a neighbouring pub.

The architect is John Kinsley - arguably been known for a collective self-build project on Portobello’s Bath Street.

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Bingo hall conversion plans lodged

PLANS have been lodged to convert a former bingo hall in the Southside into a cafe and occasional event space.

The application can be viewed, here (ref: 26/01757/FUL).

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Two Edinburgh buildings named winners in architectural award

TWO Edinburgh buildings have been named among ten buildings chosen by architects body, the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), as winners of its annual awards.

The ten will be further shortlisted, from which one will be chosen as Scotland’s Building of the Year - announced towards the end of the year - aka the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.

The two are (1) Usher Building, University of Edinburgh, by Hassell; and the Edinburgh Futures Institute, by Bennetts Associates.

Read more, here.

New president named at architects’ body

AN associate director at local architects, Reiach and Hall, has been named the new president of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).

Libby Heathcote succeeds Karen Anderson, as noted here, on the RIAS website.

New president for Edinburgh architects’ body

MEANWHILE, the Edinburgh ‘chapter’ of the RIAS has chosen a new president to succeed Neil Middleton, whose two-year term of office has come to an end.

Emma Garland - an associate director at architects, ema - has been chosen by the Edinburgh Architecture Association.

Middleton reflects on his two years in post, here.

Building procurement concerns voiced

ALSO from the RIAS, it has voiced concerns about how buildings are procured - not least the possible safety implications of buildings chosen primarily on cost grounds.

It follows a consultation exercise hosted by the Scottish Government, here, which ended on the fifth of this month.

Among other things, the RIAS notes (here) the collapse of a wall at Oxgangs Primary School, ten years ago, which led to an inquiry, here.

Youth homelessness charity receives keys towards ‘supported accommodation’ programme

THE keys to three one-bedroom flats across Edinburgh - with the keys soon due for two more - have been received by a charity, to help provide young people facing homelessness with ‘supported accommodation’.

Says youth homelessness charity, the Rock Trust, here, the flats are part of its ‘Bedrock programme’.

The story is picked up, here, by the website, Scottish Housing News.

Refurbishment plans announced by the National Galleries of Scotland

THE National Galleries of Scotland building on The Mound is to undergo a refurbishment, including a “refreshed suite of galleries and displays”.

It follows a strategy document, for the next four years, which says the NGS’s ‘biggest priority’ is to complete a project in Granton, opening up an estimated 130,000 items (currently mostly in storage) to the general public.

Says NGS, here: “Our biggest priority over the next four years will be to complete The Art Works. This transformational project will enable us to share the nation’s art with even more people now and in the future. The Art Works building, and everything it makes possible, will significantly advance all three of our strategic priorities: Audience, Collection and Resilience.”

The story is picked up - as an ‘exclusive’ by Brian Ferguson - of The Herald newspaper, here.

‘Tram Train’ scheme takes another step forward

CITY council officials have been tasked with approaching the Scottish Government agency, Transport Scotland, to apply for feasibility study funding, to explore the possibility of reopening the South Suburban rail line to passenger traffic.

A local ‘Tram Trains’ campaign is campaigning not just for the reopening of the line, but for it to connect with the city’s tram service - using vehicles that can switch from one type of line to the next - thus creating a ‘Tram Train’ loop around the city.

At a meeting of the full council last week, a feasibility study proposal (agenda item 8.13, here) was passed.

During the run-up to the Scottish Parliament elections at the beginning of the month - which returned a SNP-led government - the SNP manifesto called for a feasibility study (as noted, here, on BuildEdinburgh).

The ‘Tram Trains’ scheme was first mooted by engineering students at Heriot-Watt University, here.

In a media release issued by the campaign, its chair, Rob Falcon, is quoted, as saying: “The city council directly requesting that the Scottish Government funds the feasibility study, represents a further milestone in getting this project done for the benefit of the city and the wider Lothian region.

“The voting in the council indicated broad support for the project across the political parties, in a way not demonstrated before. We urge the council to set ambitious objectives and keep up the pressure on the newly elected government."

Future of Westfield Court thrown into doubt by ‘listing’ possibility

THE possible demolition of a high-rise block of flats in Gorgie has been thrown into doubt by news of a report being prepared by Scottish Government agency, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), into whether the building should be protected with a ‘listing’.

According to papers (here) to be considered on Monday at a meeting of the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee (here, agenda item 4.4), the estimated cost of repairing Westfield Court (pictured below, in which the council is a ‘minority owner’) leaves only one possible course of action: demolition and reuse of the site.

Repairs have been estimated at £500,000 per property, ie £48m for the whole block.

But the council has learned that HES is preparing a report (expected soon) that could lead to the building being ‘listed’, potentially leaving all involved in a quandary as to what to do next.

The story is picked up by The Edinburgh Reporter website, here, and the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Fountain Park pub plan reportedly withdrawn

A PLANNED Wetherspoons pub in Fountain Park - in a former ‘brewhouse’, that’s been empty for the last two years - has reportedly been withdrawn, because of ‘commercial reasons’.

Writes Ross Chalmers, on the website, Deadline News, here: “J D Wetherspoon abandoned plans to take over the site of the well-known McCowan’s Brewhouse, which closed in 2024, at the eleventh hour, after a licence had been acquired and planning applications lodged.

Former St Stephen’s Church reportedly for sale

THE former St Stephen’s Church at the bottom of St Vincent Street, in Stockbridge - that has been more recently a performance space - has reportedly been put up for sale.

Reports Jane Bradley, here in The Scotsman newspaper, the asking price is at least £3m.

Says the Daily Business website, here: “The A-listed St Stephens in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge area was built in 1828 by the architect, William Henry Playfair. Since 1966, it has hosted regular Fringe performances.

“Leslie Benzies, former president of the company behind the smash-hit, Grand Theft Auto game, bought it in 2014 to preserve the building for community use.

“For the past nine years, it has been owned by Danish ballet dancer, director and choreographer, Peter Schaufuss, who previously ran the now-closed Rose Theatre on Rose Street. He has put St Stephens on the market for £3 million.”

Green light given for Gorgie ‘apart-hotel’ proposal

AN ‘apart-hotel’ - comprising 23 apartments - has been approved for Gorgie Road (Nos 93-101).

The application - here, ref: 26/00427/FUL - is a re-submission, following a rejection last year for a 28 serviced apartments scheme (here, ref: 25/01224/FUL).

The site is currently offices for a taxi firm.

The approval was given on Wednesday by the city council’s Development Management sub-committee, here (agenda item 4.15).

Work begins on new Edinburgh Park neighbourhood

WORK has begun on the construction of the first phase of what is expected to be a new neighbourhood within the wider Edinburgh Park development area, in the west of the city.

Says a media release issued by S1 Developments: “The New Village, led by Edinburgh-based S1 Developments, will form part of real estate investment group Parabola’s wider multi-million-pound regeneration of Edinburgh Park.

“Bank of Scotland’s funding has enabled the commencement of the first phase of properties at The New Village, comprising 146 private homes for sale. The all-electric homes include studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments and mews houses, with views across either a landscaped courtyard or the Pentland Hills.

“Residents will have access to the wider amenities and cultural attractions planned for Edinburgh Park, including a multi-sport recreation area, a square with cafes, a children’s play area, offices, an art trail featuring works by Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, hotels and Edinburgh’s first indoor arena, the 8,500-capacity AEG Arena.

“The development is well-connected to the city centre and airport by public transport, and is already home to leading independent bakery, Patina.”

The release adds: “Once complete, S1 Developments will deliver 397 new homes at The New Village, with a further 160 affordable units being delivered in tandem by social enterprise, Places for People.

“The development will supplement Edinburgh Park’s wider delivery of a further 864 rental properties, including more than 200 proposed mid-market rent homes.”

The tale of the former Bonnington Bridge bar

THE story of the now derelict (not least because of fire damage) Bonnington Bridge bar on Newhaven Road is being told by local historian, Andy Arthur, on his Threadinburgh website, here.

Please do consider supporting BuildEdinburgh

IF you appreciate BuildEdinburgh’s approach to reporting what’s happening in the city - ie seeking to confirm every detail, not relying on hearsay, providing links as evidence and to read more, etc (namely, the strictest of journalism standards) - you might want to seriously consider supporting the site, by becoming a paying subscriber.

It goes without saying that the site’s current approach to reporting is, by far, the most labour-intensive of the options available.

It would be much easier and less time-consuming to simply copy and paste the headlines to the media outlets it cites, to cease checking out the city’s planning applications portal and to stop reporting council committee meetings.

So, it’s a simple choice: headlines only and no checking of city council documentation OR you register your appreciation, by becoming a paying subscriber, of the sheer effort that goes into providing the current offering.

If enough of you upgrade from free to paying, we’ll keep the service as is.

Upcoming for the paying subscribers thus far: at least one social gathering next month and an online discussion as to what editorial to pursue in the coming weeks and months.

Some editorial we can only provide by commissioning a freelancer, which will require funds; for instance, to write 2,000 words on what happens to the stuff you put in your green bin; for instance, to draw up architectural drawings; etc.

Please do help, to make it happen.

Thank you.

Main image details: Wardie; copyright all images Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e May 22

Editor — Fri, 22 May 2026 12:41:50 GMT

In today’s edition:

Residents to choose how to spend £1.7m;
Community garden to receive ‘Dobbies support’;
More than 1,400 residents said to have moved into ‘Western Villages’;
Modernised Mortonhall bungalow wins BBC homes series;
BuildEdinburgh now a dot.com!;
Applications invited for a community grant;
Applications also invited, for climate-related ‘seed funding’;
Quintet of Edinburgh-based architects awarded ‘conservation accredited’ status;
Urban realm improvements expected to be high on the agenda of proposed Old Town ‘business improvement district’;
Restoration work at former Royal High School captured on video;
Views being sought on Portobello swim centre revamp plans;
Architecture exhibits on view at annual RSA show;
Leith Walk cycle path - record number of users estimated for a single day;
Balerno residents reportedly say No to ‘over-development’;
Petition launched, demanding playpark investment at Inverleith Park;
The original tram line, money expected to return to the city council;
New name given the Scottish Government housing brief;
‘Unapologetically modern’ homes to be marketed at South Queensferry site;
Namecheck for Edinburgh’s tenements; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

Residents to choose how to spend £1.7m

RESIDENTS are to be given the opportunity on how to spend £1.7m, raised by charging visitors to the city for overnight stays (aka the Visitor Levy).

It follows a ‘participatory budget’ debate at last Thursday’s meeting of the city’s Culture and Communities committee (here, agenda item 7.1).

It works out at approximately £100,000 per council ward, the final amount to be determined by the size of the ward. The first year alone will be £20,000 at least per ward.

Said papers (here) presented to committee members: “In February, the council agreed to allocate £2m of income generated from the first three years of the Edinburgh Visitor Levy through a participatory budgeting process. This is new funding and does not replace any existing grants.”

Of the £2m total, £300,000 will be allocated to administration.

The meeting was preceded by a deputation by the already-operating participatory budgeting scheme, Leith Chooses, which called for a longer timeframe in deciding which projects can be voted for and financed - arguing that it can take quite a bit of time for local people to even identify their priorities for their communities, never mind come up with specific projects to potentially meet them.

The papers continued: “Projects will be funded up to the value of £0.01m [£10,000].

“The process will not impose a hard lower limit on projects; but will have a suggested value of £0.005m [£5,000] to £0.01m during the first year.

“Projects with a value of less than £0.005m, and/or which are unsuitable for Visitor Levy participatory budgeting, will be directed to the Community Grants Fund as an alternate potential source for funding.”

There was a lot of debate as to whether the funding should be weighted to particularly support those parts of the city where there is a higher level of deprivation.

Read more, on the city council’s website, here.

Community garden to receive ‘Dobbies support’

AN Edinburgh community garden has been chosen among 53 throughout the UK, to benefit from support from the garden centre giants, Dobbies.

Says Dobbies, here, of the service that Wee Garden Haven can expect to receive: “Dobbies Community Gardens is our nationwide initiative supporting groups across the UK to create, restore or enhance indoor and outdoor green spaces.”

Wee Garden Haven, in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, is described as a ‘nature kindergarten’.

The story is picked up by The Herald newspaper, here.

More than 1,400 residents said to have moved into ‘Western Villages’

A DIFFERENT take on a story in last Friday’s BuildEdinburgh was reported by The Herald newspaper last week.

While BuildEdinburgh focussed (here) on the ‘thumbs up’ views of residents in new housing in Granton, The Herald’s Rose Moncur majored on the numbers.

She began her report, here: “More than 1,400 residents have moved into new homes at Edinburgh’s growing Granton Waterfront regeneration development.

“Western Villages, part of the Granton Waterfront redevelopment, has delivered 388 homes for social and mid-market rent and is designed to help create what planners describe as Edinburgh’s ‘new coastal town’.”

Read more, on the city council’s website, here.

Modernised Mortonhall bungalow wins BBC homes series

A MODERNISED ‘mid-century’ bungalow in Mortonhall has been named the winner of this year’s BBC Scotland series, Scotland’s Home of the Year.

More details, here, on the BBC website.

BuildEdinburgh now a dot.com!

SHARP-eyed readers will have spotted that this website is now no longer BuildEdinburgh.Substack.com but simply BuildEdinburgh.com - altogether much easier to share in conversation, if nothing else.

It has all been made possible - since the URL had to be first purchased and then Substack charge a fee for the transition - thanks to the generosity of readers who have upgraded their subscription from free to paying (£3.50 a month or £30 for the year).

If you are a free subscriber, you can generously show your appreciation of the site by doing similar.

The more paying subscribers, the more the site will be able to grow.

That said, the weekly news roundup will always be available to read, for free.

Applications invited for a community grant

MODEST urban realm improvements are among the projects potentially eligible for grants of up to £5,000, with a call for applications launched on Monday by the city council.

Says the council, here: “The Community Grants Fund is a small grants scheme provided by the council. Grants of up to £5,000 can be awarded to constituted groups for local community activity. The purpose of the fund is to support local groups to try new things and develop small-scale activities that will benefit or add value to their community.”

The deadline for applications is the 29th of next month. Read more, here.

Applications also invited, for climate-related ‘seed funding’

APPLICATIONS are also being invited from community groups, this time for climate-related ‘seed funding’.

Grants of between £250 and £20,000 are being offered by the local environmental group, Edinburgh Communities Climate Action Network, here.

Quintet of Edinburgh-based architects awarded ‘conservation accredited’ status

FIVE Edinburgh-based architects have been awarded ‘conservation accredited’ status by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

The quintet are: Lorna Crane, Purcell UK (Advanced status); Fraser Bell, CSY Architects (Advanced status); Ruth Rodger, Smith Scott Mullan; Nick Mills, Mills McCullough Architects and Alice Henderson, Historic Environment Scotland.

Read more, here.

Urban realm improvements expected to be high on the agenda of proposed Old Town ‘business improvement district’

IMPROVING the public realm of the Old Town is expected to be high on the agenda of a proposal that local businesses come together to launch a ‘business improvement district’.

Reporting the proposal, Edinburgh Live website quotes one business owner, as saying, here: “"There's no proper management and coordination of this entire area of the city - yet it's so important to the success of our local economy.

“There are so many visitors, but we're also a city that’s still full of local residents - so we want to make improvements that benefit everyone, and by no means would this be focused on the visitor market.”

He added: “I’ve seen the growth of graffiti over the last even five years and it’s just staggering. I’m not saying it was spotless before, but it’s really demoralising. It impacts people’s property, homes, businesses.

“There’s a business owner opposite me who was targeted by the same person three times within less than a week. It’s soul destroying to see, especially when you’re reliant on that for your livelihood.”

The city centre and New Town has its own BID, Essential Edinburgh.

The Old Town initiative is the subject of a feature on the website, Edinburgh Inquirer, here.

Restoration work at former Royal High School captured on video

RESTORATION work being carried out on the former Royal High School, on Regent Road, has been captured on video, to accompany an article in The Scotsman newspaper.

Writes the newspaper’s Jane Bradley, here (under the heading, ‘First look inside…’): “The main hall at Edinburgh’s former Royal High School is finally on its way to become a new concert hall for the city and the heart of the National Centre for Music, after a decades-long campaign to save the building.”

Watch the video, here, on YouTube.

Views being sought on Portobello swim centre revamp plans

VIEWS are being sought on how to revamp Portobello swim centre, with two drop-events taking place, the first next week.

Say the operators - the city council’s arms-length sports and leisure organisation, Edinburgh Leisure - here: “The consultation will give the public an opportunity to comment on proposed improvements to the Category A-listed facility, including internal reconfiguration to improve layouts, accessibility, and customer experience, while protecting key heritage features such as the pools and Turkish Baths. Feedback from the consultation will help inform the final design and investment decisions for the centre.”

Both drop-ins are taking place at Portobello Town Hall, the first on Tuesday, 10am-12pm and 6pm-8pm.

The second is a week on Monday, June 1: same venue, same times.

Adds Edinburgh Leisure: “An online survey will also be available for those who prefer to provide feedback digitally.”

The story is picked up by Ian Swanson, of the Edinburgh Evening News newspaper, here.

Architecture exhibits on view at annual RSA show

THE annual exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy, on Princes Street, has opened, with architecture once again a key element.

The exhibition - the RSA’s 200th - continues until the 14th of next month.

View the architecture displays, here.

Leith Walk cycle path - record number of users estimated for a single day

SOME 2,568 cyclists are estimated to have used the cycle path on Leith Walk during the course of April 30 - making it a record number of users of the path for a single day.

According to a social media post (here) by local ‘active travel campaigner’, Edward Tissiman, the record number was registered by a cycle counter at the Omni Centre.

Says Tissiman, last year’s highest single day figure (itself a record) for the path has been broken ten times already this year.

Meanwhile, the local cycle campaign group, Spokes, reports, here: “Our regular May traffic count, at Lothian Road and Forrest Road, found bikes up everywhere: northbound and southbound, morning rush hour and lunchtime.

“With car numbers fairly static compared to last year, bikes rose to 19.2 per cent of all vehicles in the morning and 12.3 per cent at lunchtime, our highest post-pandemic figures. At Forrest Road, morning bikes formed 31 per cent of all northbound vehicles, almost one in three.”

Balerno residents reportedly say No to ‘over-development’

RESIDENTS in Balerno are understood to have lodged their opposition to their nearby Green Belt being ‘developed’ and also ‘large-scale housing growth’ - according to the district’s community council.

It follows an online survey conducted by Balerno Community Council, as it seeks to prepare a Local Place Plan - to feed into the city council’s wider planning targets for the years 2030-40.

Adds the Balerno community council, here: “Locals want preservation over expansion, better basics (roads, access, healthcare) before new development and a more inclusive, accessible, and community-focused village.”

Three LPPs have already been submitted to the council: Wester Hailes, Midmar Paddock and Astley Ainslie (here).

LPPs are currently being prepared by, among others, Fairmilehead and Morningside community councils.

Petition launched, demanding playpark investment at Inverleith Park

A PETITION has been launched, demanding investment into the playpark provision at Inverleith Park.

Say the instigators of the petition, here: “Inverleith Park is one of Edinburgh's largest open green spaces, covering over 52 hectares and serving thousands of residents and tourists every week. Despite its size and prominence, it has the poorest play provision of any major park in the city. The limited equipment that exists is broken and unsafe, leaving children with almost nothing to engage with.”

The original tram line, money expected to return to the city council

ALTHOUGH no exact figure was mentioned during yesterday’s meeting of the full city council (here, agenda item 7.3), several references were made of money (perhaps running into tens of millions of pounds) returning to the council from a reported out-of-court settlement with the legal firm that advised the council on the building of the original tram line between York Place and the airport.

As reported on the Edinburgh Inquirer website, here, and by the BBC, here.

Notorious for ending up several years late and substantially over-budget, the building of that line has been described in council papers - here - as “organisational incompetence” on the part of the council.

Also said the papers: “To note that.. aspects of the role of the council in the Edinburgh Tram project amounts to maladministration.”

Watch the webcast, here, from the 1:35:00 mark.

New name given the Scottish Government housing brief

A NEW name has been given the housing brief at the Scottish Government, following the appointment of a new Scottish Government cabinet in the wake of the SNP triumph at the Scottish Parliament elections earlier this month.

While housing was most recently its own, single portfolio - occupied by Màiri McAllan - it is now paired with Social Justice, with Shirley-Anne Somerville its new cabinet secretary.

As noted here, on the Scottish Government website.

‘Unapologetically modern’ homes to be marketed at South Queensferry site

BEGINS a media release issued by local developers, AMA Homes: “A collection of outstanding and ‘unapologetically modern’ new homes - that will transform a historic space in Edinburgh’s South Queensferry landscape - are soon to be launched to the market.

“The development of Q Gardens, an impressive reinvention of the Georgian Scotstoun House estate, is being carried out by luxury home specialist – AMA New Homes and marries Scottish architectural heritage with breathtaking contemporary design.

“Award-winning architects, Kettle Collective - known for landmark projects across the Middle East, Asia and Africa - have drawn up the plans for these striking new homes which will appeal to buyers searching for statement homes in a leafy garden setting close to the centre of Edinburgh.”

The release continues: “Q Gardens sits in the grounds of the former Scotstoun Park House, a grand mansion built in the 1770s, thought to have been originally part of the Rosebery Estate.

“The mansion was demolished in the 1960s after years of neglect and a modernist office block, Scotstoun House, was built in its place designed by influential architect, Peter Fogo.”

More details, here. The story is picked up by North Edinburgh News, here, and Urban Realm, here.

Namecheck for Edinburgh’s tenements

AN article extolling the virtues of relatively high-density housing - something BuildEdinburgh has been advocating, including here - has given Edinburgh’s tenements a namecheck.

Co-written by James White, Professor of Planning and Urban Design at the University of Glasgow, it is a worth a read on the website, TheConversation, here.

Main image details: ‘East’ Waverley; all images copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e May 15

Editor — Fri, 15 May 2026 12:03:17 GMT

In today’s edition:

‘Apart-hotel’ planning application resubmitted for whole tenement block in Tollcross;
Construction work begins on 55 ‘affordable’ homes;
Housing assurance given for ‘Muirhouse One’;
Braid Road ‘modal filter’ survives long-running traffic-calming saga;
Energy efficiency upgrades in store for 34 Edinburgh flats;
Residents interviewed on video, giving ‘thumbs up’ to new housing in Granton;
Self-catering accommodation data details said to have been updated;
Airport chief quoted, admitting arrivals hall ‘very industrial and dated’;
Leith Links toilets expected to be soon reopened;
Two, new Local Nature Reserves designated for Edinburgh;
Almost a third of Edinburgh people estimated to be worried about losing their home;
Montgomery Street Park gets itself a tiny pond;
Litter Pick taking place at Hidden Door festival site;
A third of Quartermile property owners based outside the UK;
Funding encouragement for resident-designed housing;
Teviot Row House among Scottish Design Awards nominations;
Permission being sought to colourfully repaint Hope Street Police Box; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

‘Apart-hotel’ planning application resubmitted for whole tenement block in Tollcross

A PLANNING application has been resubmitted, to turn a whole tenement block in Tollcross into an ‘apart-hotel’.

The scheme - here, ref: 26/01920/FULSTL - is for 27 Home Street, and follows the refusal, in February (confirmed here), of an application (here, ref: 25/04862/FULSTL) last October.

The story is picked up by Edinburgh Live website, here.

Construction work begins on 55 ‘affordable’ homes

CONSTRUCTION work has begun on delivering 55 ‘affordable’ homes at the corner of Old Dalkeith Road and The Wisp.

The scheme - part of a wider ‘Edmonstone Estate’ development - is being led by housing association, Sanctuary Scotland - as it reports, here.

The story is picked up by Urban Realm website, here.

Housing assurance given for ‘Muirhouse One’

AN assurance has been given that a single remaining resident of a block of flats in Muirhouse due for demolition will receive ‘suitable accommodation’ when - as expected - legal proceedings are concluded and the demolition goes ahead.

The assurance came, following a question by one of the members of the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee, which met on Tuesday, here.

Said papers (here) presented to the committee: “Since the last update in February, works have been ongoing to safely secure Inchmickery Court against unwanted access. There is one remaining tenant in the block, so essential services are being maintained while the eviction process proceeds through the Sheriff Court.”

Two blocks of flats - Oxcars Court and Inchmickery Court - have been scheduled for demolition (not renovation, due to costs, as noted, here, on BuildEdinburgh).

The assurance was provided following a question from Cllr Lesley Macinnes (around the 1.04:00 mark, on the webcast, here).

The story is picked up, here, by ‘local democracy reporter’ (his post paid for by the BBC), Joe Sullivan.

Braid Road ‘modal filter’ survives long-running traffic-calming saga

THE long-running saga about traffic-calming measures and car parking restrictions between the Braids estate and James Gillespie’s Primary School - taking in also Comiston Road - appears to have come to an end, with a decision to retain some ‘modal filters’, such as Braid Road, and remove some, such as Canaan Lane.

On Tuesday, members of the city council’s Traffic Regulation Orders sub-committee met (here) to ‘finally’ consider which measures to remove, keep temporarily, modify or make permanent.

To be retained: Whitehouse Loan at Warrender Park Road, Whitehouse Loan at Strathearn Road and Braid Road at Hermitage Drive. Meanwhile, being removed: Canaan Lane, Hermitage Gardens and Braid Avenue.

‘Finally’, insofar as the deliberations thus far have been mired in, among other things, wording errors, consultation exercises that have been met with scepticism, a seeming reversal of earlier decisions by elected members, a censure of two councillors and highly polarised views among the general public.

The decision to retain the Braid Road filter followed a 5-4 vote in favour of a verbal amendment suggested in the room.

It is understood the decisions regarding the filters to be removed will be reviewed in six months’ time.

Energy efficiency upgrades in store for 34 Edinburgh flats

THIRTY-four flats in Edinburgh - managed by the housing association, Viewpoint - are to be upgraded, to make them warmer and more energy-efficient.

Says a media release, the flats - in Cluny Gardens, Oswald Road and Charterhall Road - are to be upgraded by energy efficiency specialists, Union Technical.

Adds the release: “As part of the wide-ranging work, the company will improve insulation in lofts, cavity walls and garages, repair external rendering, provide draught-proofing and improved ventilation, as well as full window overhauls and installation of smart heating controls.

“The contract, Union Technical’s first for Viewpoint, was awarded under the National Retrofit and Decarbonisation Framework, a procurement route designed to fast-track energy efficiency improvements in homes across the country.”

Residents interviewed on video, giving ‘thumbs up’ to new housing in Granton

RESIDENTS of ‘Western Villages’ - comprising new housing in Granton - have been interviewed for a video (now on the video sharing platform, YouTube), giving the scheme an enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’.

The video was put together by the city council and can be checked out here, on the council website.

Self-catering accommodation data details said to have been updated

A CITY council spokesperson is said to have apologised for correspondence with a ‘self-catering apartments professional’ not being accompanied by an explanation of how personal details are kept by the council.

Writes Josh Pizzuto-Pomaco, under an ‘exclusive’ banner in The Herald newspaper, here: “A council spokesperson acknowledged that the relevant privacy notice had not been made available, but told The Herald that it had now been uploaded online.”

It is not clear to what extent the omission whether will be reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office and what, if any, impact it will have on the rollout of the city’s upcoming visitor levy scheme (a modest charge on visitor overnight stays, to help pay for various ‘visitor-related’ projects in the city).

Airport chief quoted, admitting arrivals hall ‘very industrial and dated’

THE chief executive of Edinburgh airport has been quoted, saying the airport’s arrivals hall is “very industrial and dated” and “not the standard we aspire to”.

Gordon Dewar was quoted in an article by The Scotsman newspaper’s transport correspondent, Alastair Dalton, here.

Dalton continues: “The airport said the hall would be replaced as part of a major redevelopment of the terminal, but declined to provide a timescale.”

Leith Links toilets expected to be soon reopened

PUBLIC toilets at Leith Links are expected to be reopened at the beginning of next month, after being closed in December to allow repair work to be carried out by the city council.

According to correspondence received by the local community council, here: “Drainage remediation works have begun on site during the week commencing May 4.

“The construction works are expected to take approximately three to four weeks, followed by reinstatement of the surrounding area and testing of the drainage system before reopening.

“We are currently targeting completion by the beginning of June, subject to final testing and verification.”

Two, new Local Nature Reserves designated for Edinburgh

TWO new nature reserves are to be designated in Edinburgh, with an already existing one to be ‘expanded’.

Yesterday, the city council’s Culture and Communities committee agreed to a recommendation from officers, here, to designate Wester Craiglockhart Hill and Little France as Local Nature Reserves and to ‘expand’ (by a further 9.84 hectares) the existing 10.5-hectare nature reserve at Easter Craiglockhart Hill.

Ahead of the meeting, the story was picked up by Deadline News website, here.

At the meeting, an addendum was accepted, to ensure nature conservation work (including scientific studies) by Calton Hill Conservation Trust continues to be recognised.

Almost a third of Edinburgh people estimated to be worried about losing their home

ALMOST a third of people living in Edinburgh are estimated to be worried about losing their home in the next few years - polling has found.

The poll found the exact figure to be 31 per cent, just below the national average of 35 per cent.

Says Homeless Network Scotland, here, which commissioned the poll: “The research found 35 per cent of people across Scotland are concerned about losing their home because of pressures including the cost of living, a lack of affordable housing, high rents and rising mortgage costs. Concern is highest among 18-to- 24 year-olds, where almost half (49 per cent) share that fear.”

The story is picked up by The Edinburgh Reporter website, here.

Montgomery Street Park gets itself a tiny pond

A TINY pond has become the latest addition to volunteer tending of Montgomery Street Park, just west of Easter Road.

It followed work carried out by at least 13 volunteers on Saturday, as reported on the Facebook page of the Friends of Montgomery Street Park (here).

Litter Pick taking place at Hidden Door festival site

A LITTER pick is taking place on Sunday, behind the location of the Hidden Door ‘independent arts’ festival in Maybury.

This year’s Hidden Door is taking place between June 3-7, as described here.

Details of the litter pick (which is taking place between 11am and 1pm) can be found, here.

A third of Quartermile property owners based outside the UK

SOME 263 of the 751 property titles involving properties in Quartermile are owned by individuals or organisations based outside the UK, 95 of them in Hong Kong.

The figures follow a deep dive by the BBC’s Andrew Picken into statistics (here) released in March by the Registers of Scotland (noted by BuildEdinburgh, here).

Writes Picken, here: “The vast majority of property and land in Scotland is registered to people and companies based in the country.

“But RoS data shows, external a total of 28,825 titles - 1.4 per cent of the total - on the land register where the owner had an address outside the UK at the time of purchase.

“Titles in Edinburgh account for 18.7 per cent of the overseas registrations.”

Meanwhile, a fourth-floor, two-bedroom flat in Quartermile - for sale, here, at offers over £595,000 - was the most viewed property, during last month, on the website of the Edinburgh Solicitors’ Property Centre. As noted, here.

Funding encouragement for resident-designed housing

FUNDING encouragement for resident-designed housing can be potentially found in the shape of a news story about a £50m investment in a build-to-rent scheme.

Reports Scottish Housing News website, here, the funding has been provided by the Scottish National Investment Bank into L&G’s Build-to-Rent Fund.

BuildEdinburgh has been spearheading resident-designed housing (here), but it will take resource to create a ‘movement’.

So, why not become a paying subscriber of the site?

So that BuildEdinburgh can research possible housing locations?

Teviot Row House among Scottish Design Awards nominations

TEVIOT Row House - considered the world’s oldest purpose-built students’ union - is among the nominations at annual awards celebrating the Scottish design sector.

The building, recently renovated, has been shortlisted in the Conservation category of the Scottish Design Awards, which will be revealing the winners on the 24th of next month.

The architectural section alone of the awards comprise some 18 categories: Architectural practice of the year, Lighting, Interior design, Regeneration and masterplanning, Conservation, Residential - single home, Residential - multi-unit, Affordable housing, Health building or project, Education building or project, Commercial/office/hotel building or project, Public building, Future building or project, Retrofit, Low-cost project schemes under 250k, Public realm/landscaping, Client of the year - architecture, and Young architect of the year.

Permission being sought to colourfully repaint Hope Street Police Box

PLANNING permission has been submitted to colourfully repaint a former Police Box on Hope Street, next to the Johnnie Walker Experience on Princes Street.

The proposed design - here - has been submitted to city council’s planning applications portal, here (ref: 26/01064/ADV).

Image details: Grange cemetery; copyright Mike Wilson

In the news, w/e May 8

Editor — Fri, 08 May 2026 13:36:39 GMT

In today’s edition:

‘Affordable’ homes target exceeded;
The SNP manifesto and Edinburgh;
Cramond ‘campus’ proposals inch towards a formal planning application;
Call for entries issued by Scots property awards competition;
Finalists announced by Scottish Home Awards;
Sustainable design accreditation for Edinburgh-based architect;
Edinburgh tenement maintenance - online seminar;
Mural celebrates the local people of Leith;
Paying subscribers invite;
Ministers reportedly warned Scots law lacks the facility to shut down ‘rogue’ shops;
Tenement tale turns the spotlight on Picardy Place;
Manifesto issued as cyclists prepare to Pedal on Parliament;
Wanted: Views on how to potentially ‘improve’ the West End;
Applications invited for Edinburgh Doors Open Days weekend;
Litter pick organised for Sighthill Park; and
Enjoy, see you next Friday!

‘Affordable’ homes target exceeded

ALMOST 1,500 new ‘affordable’ homes were completed by the city council, and its housing association partners, in the last financial year - according to an announcement from the council.

Says a media release, issued by the council, the figure represents “the most completions delivered in a single year since the [council’s] Affordable Housing Supply Programme began”.

The announcement continues, here: “In 2025/26 1,473 houses were completed or purchased for use, beating the target of 1,368, while 994 homes were approved for construction. Work also started at 1,004 sites.

“Almost £74m was spent on affordable housing in the last financial year, surpassing the previous high figure of £55m spent in a single financial year since the programme was introduced in 2007.”

The SNP manifesto and Edinburgh

WITH the SNP expected to form the next Scottish Government (in whatever guise: minority or majority) - following yesterday’s Scottish Parliament elections - several implications are in store for Edinburgh, should the party’s campaign manifesto to be honoured.

One pledge has already been noted by BuildEdinburgh - here - which is to fund a feasibility study into the possible re-opening of the South Suburban rail line for passenger traffic, as part of a wider ‘Tram Trains’ scheme.

Also on the cards from the manifesto (here) is a walk-in clinic service in north Edinburgh, a possible second Gaelic-medium primary school and a feasibility study into how Wardie Bay and parts of the Water of Leith might be turned into an outdoor swimming facility similar to Copenhagen’s Harbour Baths.

Another pledge - with potentially significant implications for plans for a second tram route in Edinburgh, this time north-to-south, complementing the current Newhaven-airport route - reads: “We support efforts in Edinburgh to retain the Roseburn corridor as a route for pedestrians and cyclists and believe that any tram proposals brought forward and funded by the city council should use an alternative route.

“We will also support efforts to bring the former Powderhall railway line into use as a new walking and cycling route in the capital.”

Cramond ‘campus’ proposals inch towards a formal planning application

A PLANNING application is expected to be soon submitted for a ‘mixed-use campus’ development in Cramond, including - among other things - sports facilities and a care home.

Being a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN), it is expected public consultation events will be soon held (two have been scheduled, but as yet with no accompanying details) ahead of a formal planning application being submitted.

The PAN follows the developers being ordered ‘to get a move on’ by the city council’s Development Management sub-committee in January (here).

At the time, BuildEdinburgh’s reporting (here) of the sub-committee’s instruction began: “Developers of housing on a site in Cramond - once occupied by what is now known as the Moray House School of Education and Sport - have been ordered to produce a Proposal of Application of Notice (PAN) by April 30, concerning the provision of sports facilities that have been over 20 years in the waiting.”

The PAN notice can be read here (ref: 26/01854/PAN) and concerns the specific address, 34 Cramond Road North.

The story is picked up by the Edinburgh Live and Urban Realm websites, here and here.

Call for entries issued by Scots property awards competition

A DEADLINE of the 21st of this month has been set for an awards competition celebrating Scotland’s housing sector.

Category titles such as Residential Regeneration Project of the Year and Affordable Housing Development of the Year are up for grabs at The Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2026.

Entry details, here.

Finalists announced by Scottish Home Awards

MEANWHILE, the finalists have been announced for another awards competition celebrating Scotland’s housing sector.

This year’s Scottish Home Awards will be handing out the prizes on the 18th of next month, with category titles including Renovation of the Year (New Craig at Craighouse among the finalists) and Housing Development of the Year (large private sale) (West Shore among the finalists).

Sustainable design accreditation for Edinburgh-based architect

AN architect with the Edinburgh office of Purcell Architecture has been awarded ‘Architect Accredited in Sustainable Design’ status by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

Says RIAS, here: “Claire [Cockburn] has RIAS accreditation in both Conservation and now Sustainable Architecture and is also a certified Passivhaus designer.”

Edinburgh tenement maintenance - online seminar

AN online seminar is taking place next month, about Edinburgh tenement maintenance.

It is being hosted by the Scots tenements charity, Under One Roof, and is taking place on the second of next month.

Details, here.

Mural celebrates the local people of Leith

A MURAL has been unveiled in Leith, by the recycling social enterprise, Edinburgh Remakery.

The mural - unveiled on Wednesday in Newkirkgate - followed a series of community engagement events, to garner views as to what should be celebrated in the district.

Says Edinburgh Remakery, here: “The mural is more than artwork. It reflects the people, stories and spirit of Leith. It is a piece of the community, made by the community.”

As well as local people being involved in the project, the painting also included local artists, Isabell Buenz and Ross MacRae.

Meanwhile, earlier this week, Edinburgh Remakery was recognised by an awards scheme promoting enterprise in sustainable development - a King’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development, as announced here and here.

Paying subscribers invite

EAGLE-eyed readers will have noticed that - from last week - BuildEdinburgh has set up the opportunity for free subscribers to convert to paying ones (either £3.50 a month or £30 a year).

As the site celebrates its first birthday, funding has started to become an issue, not least because ‘solid journalism’ (phoning, researching, interviewing, etc) takes up significant effort and rightly requires paying for - especially if it is to involve commissioning freelancers.

Besides feeling good about supporting the site, paying subscribers will also enjoy access to dedicated content, plus access to exclusive webinars.

Fear not, the site’s weekly aggregation of what’s happening in the city will always remain free to read.

Crucially, they will also be able to help decide future editorial.

BuildEdinburgh now comprises almost 200 posts - most of which are now part of an archive available only to paying subscribers.

Each and every one of them has been produced for free.

The next editor of the site might struggle to be so generous with their time.

Ministers reportedly warned Scots law lacks the facility to shut down ‘rogue’ shops

SCOTTISH Government ministers have reportedly been told that Scots law does not allow trading standards teams to shut down ‘rogue’ shops, operated by criminal gangs.

Writes Martin Williams - in an ‘exclusive’, here on the front page of the Herald on Sunday newspaper: “The Scottish Government has had a national strategy to tackle organised crime since 2009, when Letting Our Communities Flourish was first published, but concerns remain over whether enforcement powers have kept pace..”

Tenement tale turns the spotlight on Picardy Place

IT was “part of a terrace [of townhouses] that replaced a village of French weavers”, while more recently it was a Hertz car rental garage: the latest in a series of Edinburgh tenement histories turns the spotlight on 10 Picardy Place.

Read all about it on Diarmid Mogg’s Tenement Town website - which describes itself as “uncovering Edinburgh’s forgotten lives, one stair at a time” - here.

Manifesto issued as cyclists prepare to Pedal on Parliament

A MANIFESTO has been issued to accompany an annual gathering of cyclists at the Scottish Parliament.

The Pedal on Parliament event is taking place on the 30th of this month (starting at Middle Meadow Walk at 11.30am), and the manifesto (here) primarily has four key aims: Reinstate funding, Redouble efforts, Redress safety and Repair division.

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Wanted: Views on how to potentially ‘improve’ the West End

VIEWS are being sought about how to potentially ‘improve’ the West End.

The local community council has launched an online survey as a prelude to compiling a Local Place Plan, to submit to the city council as it works up its wider planning targets (City Plan 2040).

Already, three communities have produced a Local Place Plan - here - with several others in the pipeline, including from Fairmilehead Community Council and Morningside CC.

The survey can be found, here.

Applications invited for Edinburgh Doors Open Days weekend

A DEADLINE of the 21st of next month has been set for applications to feature in a festival of Edinburgh buildings.

Doors Open Day is scheduled for September 26 and 27. To find out how to potentially be part of the programme, email here.

Litter pick organised for Sighthill Park

A LITTER pick has been organised for Sighthill Park - taking place from 11am on Sunday.

Meet at the pavilion on Broomhouse Road.

Main image details: McEwan Hall; copyright Mike Wilson

Mural image details: copyright Edinburgh Remakery

In the news, w/e May 1

Editor — Fri, 01 May 2026 13:03:45 GMT

In today’s edition:

Planning permission granted for Rose Street Theatre conversion;
Edinburgh named ‘most walkable’ city in Europe;
Gillis Centre reportedly to be put up for sale;
Concern raised about Pleasance Fringe venue planning application frequency;
Election manifestos reportedly offer ‘support’ for Borders rail line extension;
Plans lodged for name cha…

In the news, w/e April 24

Editor — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 13:55:53 GMT

In today’s edition:

Dundas Street hotel, etc plans submitted;
Re-submitted: Henderson Row office-to-residential plans;
‘Tram Trains’ feasibility study promised in SNP manifesto;
Examined: ‘green’ data centres;
Architect, Ian Begg, remembered;
Views sought on proposed streets improvements in Craigmillar and Niddrie;
Views sought on Craigmount High School expans…

In the news, w/e April 17

Editor — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 11:48:15 GMT

In today’s edition:

‘Affordable’ housing tender issued for New Town Quarter site;
Edinburgh ranked ninth-busiest tourist destination in the world;
How much for an A4 sheet’s worth of ‘floor space’?;
Plans lodged for padel and tennis centre;
Appeal issued to help in the building of two ‘urban crofts’;
Almost 900 new-build homes started in the city (708 complet…

In the news, w/e April 10

Editor — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 12:42:10 GMT

In today’s edition:

Two-part tram build reportedly being called for by SNP councillors;
Sneak peek of King’s Theatre refurbishment published;
Residents group forms against possible data centre;
Construction work well underway on Colinton community hub;
Edinburgh duo compete for Scotland’s Home of the Year regional title;
Website feature focuses on deaths amo…

In the news, w/e April 3

Editor — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:22:39 GMT

In today’s edition:

Students come up with innovative Sheriffhall roundabout design;
Memorial service for celebrated city campaigner and critic;
Foundations laid for the next phase of Powderhall regeneration;
The old Granton lighthouse;
Tram journeys up, bus journeys up;
Argyle House listing hopes dashed, at least for the moment;
Research grants, up to £5,000 a…

In the news, March 27

Editor — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 12:43:01 GMT

In today’s edition:

Thumbs up for ‘retirement village’ proposal;
More advance notice of road repairs being sought by local councillor;
Timeframe extension approved for new neighbourhood proposals next to the airport;
‘Housing-led regeneration’; workshop being held;
Community hub delivered to Granton ‘village’ for people experiencing homelessness;
‘Community r…

In the news, w/e March 20

Editor — Fri, 20 Mar 2026 14:41:21 GMT

In today’s edition:

Work expected soon on upgrade plans for Seafield water treatment plant;
Demolition plans lodged for Liberton Hospital site;
Office-to-church conversion being proposed;
Heat networks and tenement buildings - a webinar;
Tower blocks ‘template’ expected to follow Craigmillar retrofit work;
Inside Richard Murphy’s home;
Build-to-rent Leith Dock…

In the news, w/e March 13

Editor — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 12:45:13 GMT

In today’s edition:

Student accommodation proposal being marketed for sale;
Congestion charging: a response from the First Minister, John Swinney;
Another planning application submitted for Gorgie Road visitor accommodation proposal;
The practice of developers going ‘straight to appeal’;
‘Affordable’ homes handed over at former Sick Kids Hospital site;
Almost…

In the news, w/e March 6

Editor — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 13:04:39 GMT

In today’s edition:

Port Hamilton refurbishment well underway;
Deal of the Year award for Port Hamilton project;
Planning permission approved for office-to-serviced-apartments scheme;
Repair and reuse proposal unveiled for Argyle House;
Ocean Terminal sale - analysis;
Retrospective planning permission? Not sure;
Permission being sought for office-to-hotel conv…

In the news, w/e February 27

Editor — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:53:35 GMT

In today’s edition:

£1.6bn set aside for ‘affordable’ homes and tackling poverty in the city;
Revised scheme submitted for Rose Street Theatre building;
Edinburgh duo recognised in Scots architecture awards shortlist;
Park maintenance project among ‘Leith Chooses’ recipients;
Bookshop crowdfunder well on its way;
Residents meet with ScotGov official to argu…

In the news, w/e February 20

Editor — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 13:26:30 GMT

In today’s edition:

Dock Place apartments proposal set to be overturned;
600-bed student accommodation project in Leith ‘advancing at pace’;
Planning permission being sought for 60-bed student accommodation block in Gorgie;
Crowdfunder launched to repair church bells;
Invite issued: what pavements need widening?;
Launched by BuildEdinburgh: Ideas lab;
Average …