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.
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‘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.”
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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).
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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).
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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.”
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‘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.
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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.
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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.
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Site news
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The options facing the site are (1) keep as is, (2) longer-form content available only to paying subscribers, (3) both longer-form and the Friday news round-up available only to paying subscribers, and (4) site closure.
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Thank you.
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.
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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.
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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.
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‘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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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