In the news, w/e June 26

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.

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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.

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‘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.

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‘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.

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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.

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£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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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‘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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Image details: Granton harbour; all images copyright Mike Wilson