Edinburgh student housing: Plans lodged for new accommodation in Ratcliffe Terrace, Newington

Plans have been submitted for new student accommodation in Edinburgh's Newington area which would see the demolition of a turn-of-the-century office building.

Edinburgh-based SDR Property Developments Ltd propose to clear the site in Ratcliffe Terrace and build two blocks with a total of 59 student bedrooms. The blocks, of six storeys each, would be connected by a glazed bridge at first-floor level. The blocks would also be split by breakout courtyards and lightwells to maximise daylight.

The existing three-storey office building on the site would be demolished to make way for student housing.

The site currently houses the main three-storey brick office building, which is the base for a specialist design company, and three other buildings which are the premises of Causewayside Garage. On one side there is Jewsons timber yard and on the other an open car park area.

In documents submitted to the council as part of the planning application, the developers note the changing characteristics of the area. "Over the last 20 years or so a number of industrial buildings and workshops have slowly disappeared from the area."

And they suggest the site where they want to build the student housing is currently "effectively a gap in the predominantly residential tenement form on the rest of Ratcliffe Terrace".

Explaining their proposal, they continue: "The concept is to deliver student residential, which remains a much needed commodity in Edinburgh, on this narrow site which adds to the streetscape with the understanding that the light industrial/car parking uses either side will in the future be taken for residential."

But the plans drew criticism on the Urban Realm planning magazine website. One person commented: "Quite prossibly the worst proposal to see the light of day in Scotland in recent years." Another said: "I'm not often moved to comment on here, but that must be the worst looking proposal I've seen in many a year."

And another regretted the proposed demolition of the existing building: "The current building is a real gem on Ratcliffe Terrace - elegant, distinctive, some lovely detailing and remarkably original. A surprising and delightful survivor which makes it more precious - really intriguing opportunity to convert. But this proposal is dire in every way - scale, bulk, massing, horizontal pattern, mishmash of materials."