Plans for 112 student flats in Edinburgh pass the final hurdle with Leith warehouse demolition

Pulsar Property had its plans for 27 Arthur Street approved last summer, and have now received Conservation Area Consent for demolition of the existing warehouse at the site to make way for the new student flats.

The City of Edinburgh’s Development Management Sub-Committee refused the planning application in June 2023, contrary to the recommendation of the council’s chief planning officer.

As a result of the refusal of the planning application, the application for Conservation Area Consent was subsequently refused the same month. The site is located in the Pilrig Conservation Area.

The refusal of the planning application for the five-storey block of student flats with commercial units at street level, was successfully appealed, with the Scottish Government’s Planning and Environmental Appeals Division granting planning permission in May 2024, given that “the proposal would not impact on the setting of the nearby listed buildings and would preserve the character of the conservation area”.

In light of the approval of the planning application, Pulsar Property made this application for Conservation Area Consent, which, in effect, is a re-submission of the previously submitted application for which Scottish Ministers confirmed is acceptable.

The warehouse at Arthur Street in Leith, which will now be demolished to make way for new student flats. | Google Maps

This final consent was approved on March 17 by the council’s chief planning officer David Givan, who said: “The demolition of the warehouse and garage is a permitted development and the loss of the warehouse use and garage use is not a material consideration in terms of conservation area consent which only centres on the impact on the character and appearance of the conservation area.

“The council's archaeological officer recommends that a programme of archaeological work is carried out during ground-breaking works associated with both demolition and construction in order to fully excavate and record any significant remains that may be disturbed but has not objected to the demolition.

“Overall, the proposed demolition will preserve the character and appearance of Pilrig Conservation Area and is acceptable.”

The former brownfield site will now be a car free development that promotes cycling, walking and use of public transport, with no parking provision. With the applicant calling it a “fitting and worthy architectural offering that compliments and enhances its surroundings”.

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This final application for these plans, to demolish the empty warehouse believed to have been built in the 1920s, received one objection online, from Dr Meg Dolan, who said: “Edinburgh has seemingly endless student housing projects in the works while it becomes harder and harder for non-students to find affordable accommodation. We need accommodation for non-students far more desperately than we need more student flats.

“Additionally, the continual building of student flats in Edinburgh negatively affects these students' educations, as the universities then raise their caps on admissions because housing is freely available. This puts undue strain on lecturers, admin staff, and university infrastructure alike. Please reject this proposal.”

The approved scheme provides a collective area of internal and external amenity spaces, including a new community garden.

The existing site is an ‘L’ shape configuration measuring at circa 0.176Ha and is comprised of vacant warehouse properties on Arthur Street with open land found to the rear, formerly belonging to the flats on Leith Walk, which has been abandoned and filled with debris.

Access to this rear area has been separated from Arthur Street with the only available entry via the pedestrian gate found on Leith Walk.