Edinburgh hotel's plans for three-storey 42 bedroom extension to secure its long-term future approved

The Best Western King’s Manor Hotel at 100 Milton Road East will be extended after its owners Edinburgh (Portobello) Hotel Limited had its plans approved by the council on March 3. The plans also include internal reconfiguration to form an additional 10 bedrooms in the existing main building.

The extension will have a flat roof and is of a similar design to an existing extension to the rear of the main hotel building. The new extension will be located in an existing landscaped area of open ground.

The finishes proposed are plain cement render basecourse, smooth off-white render to walls, anthracite colour uPVC cladding panels below windows, and anthracite colour upvc windows and doors. The proposal also includes the installation of a air conditioning units and PV panels to the roof.

The 100-bedroom Kings Manor Hotel at Milton Road East, Edinburgh. Photo: Google Maps. | GM

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The applicant’s agent A.S. Associates said of the plans: “Our client has recently purchased the 100-bedroom hotel and leisure club/spa and is looking to make improvements to better meet the current and anticipated demand for accommodation and related hotel facilities.

“A significant investment will be made in securing the hotel’s long term viability and supporting the local tourism economy.

“The proposal is for a three-storey 42 bedroom extension to the hotel. It will provide for compact, well-designed bedrooms with en-suite shower-rooms.

“In addition to the extension there will also be internal alterations, re-configuring the existing hotel meeting rooms and function space to increase the number of bedrooms - providing 10 extra bedrooms.

“The proposal demonstrates good compliance with the range of detailed policies contained in the Development Plan. The content of the Council’s Pre Application Advice Letter have been helpful in revising the proposal and ensuring compliance with the relevant policies and guidance.”

The extension will be accessed from the main hotel by a covered walkway and ramp. The external alterations to the hotel will be the removal of the fire door on the rear elevation and the installation of new doors to access the walkway to the extension. A covered bicycle store with 10 spaces will be installed on the east side of the proposed extension.

The proposals received six objections from locals, due to the over-development of the site, parking concerns for extra guests at the hotel, pollution and a lack of privacy for neighbouring properties.

Dr Ryan Taylor said: “The windows in the three storey development will look directly into my property and infringe on my privacy It will also reduce the amount of daylight I receive.”

Isobel Hutchinson said: “This is an already overdeveloped site as so many extensions have been added on to the original building. The proposed addition would leave very little outside space for hotel guests but also very little ground between the hotel and the adjoining houses.

“I am concerned that I would be looking straight on to this development and my privacy and view would be significantly impacted. The addition of pod blocks would not blend with the existing structure.”

Approving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The application is acceptable with regard to the relevant policies contained within the development plan and other relevant material considerations.

“The proposal is an extension to an existing use and preserves the character and appearance of the area. There will be no significant adverse impact on neighbouring residential amenity. There are no material considerations which outweigh this conclusion.”

The applicant now has three years to carry out the works. A detailed specification, including trade names where appropriate, of all the proposed external materials shall be submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority before work begins.

Prior to the commencement of works on site, a detailed landscape plan showing the species and size of new tree and other planting proposed shall be submitted to and approved by the planning authority.

No development shall take place on the site until the applicant has secured and implemented a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted by the applicant and approved by the planning authority.