University of Edinburgh's new state-of-the-art bioscience hub ‘New Darwin’ in Blackford approved

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The University of Edinburgh’s new state-of-the-art bioscience hub ‘New Darwin’ in Blackford has been approved.

Part of a wider £200 million redevelopment project, the university’s plans to replace the existing Darwin building were submitted to the council in August and approved on January 6.

The new five-storey bioscience hub will replace the existing Darwin Tower at the University of Edinburgh’s King’s Buildings Campus for the School of Biological Sciences, on Max Born Crescent, at the south-eastern corner of the King’s Buildings campus.

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New Darwin will be a building of a “reduced height and more appropriate scale”, akin to the adjacent buildings and landscape, offering “significant visual and environmental improvement” to the campus and surrounding areas.

The university hopes to open the new building in 2028.The university hopes to open the new building in 2028.
The university hopes to open the new building in 2028. | University of Edinburgh

The New Darwin building will be finished in bronze and black aluminium cladding and detailing, and will be spread over the whole site area resulting in reduced build height with consistent floor levels across the site, in contrast to the existing 10-storey 1960s-built Darwin Tower.

Welcoming the decision by the council’s planning department to approve the plans, a spokesperson for the University of Edinburgh said: “We are pleased that plans for the 'New Darwin' project at our King’s Buildings Campus have been approved.

“The development will create a state-of-the-art bioscience hub with sustainability at its heart and we look forward to working with partners to deliver this new resource for the world-class research and teaching in our School of Biological Sciences."

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The New Darwin building will be located adjacent to the Michael Swann building on Max Born Crescent. The existing Darwin Tower to the south is to be demolished under a separate planning application.

Other works include the installation of a two-storey black aluminium link between the 'New Darwin' and the two/three-storey CH Waddington and Daniel Rutherford Buildings to the northeast, a single-storey extension/ connection to the MEP building and the longer retention of the temporary construction access leading to Mayfield Road.

Max Born Crescent as it currently is at the University of Edinburgh's King’s Buildings Campus.Max Born Crescent as it currently is at the University of Edinburgh's King’s Buildings Campus.
Max Born Crescent as it currently is at the University of Edinburgh's King’s Buildings Campus. | City of Edinburgh Council

The planning application received 18 objections and one neutral comment. Issues raised included the design of the building, the impact on trees, and travel demands including the level of car parking at the campus.

One local resident said: “Generally the New Darwin building looks well designed and should fit well within the campus and neighbourhood.

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“The one feature that does give me some concern is the 18 metre high flue at the top of the building. This will be unsightly to not just for those residential properties listed in the Neighbourhood Notification List but many others in Blackbarony Road, Ross Road and Gordon Terrace as well as more widely in the neighbourhood.”

Another said: “If the university is going to create the requirement for at least 16 new car spaces then it needs to ensure these are accommodated on their site.

“If planning requirements are such that new car parking spaces are not acceptable in planning submissions then surely the council and university must have a duty of care to the surrounding residents - particularly with regard to their safety. I can't see that we have in any way been taken into account.”

While another objector said: “The appearance of the proposed chimneys is not in keeping with the way that the proposed building was described/shown in the consultation meetings.

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“To my knowledge none of the neighbours were aware of the chimneys from the consultations, this in itself is significant. Given the visual and air pollution these chimneys pose, I am very concerned about them.

“Not only will any air pollution effect us due the the immediate proximity and prevailing wind, but I will even be able to see it from within my home!”

Another angle of the proposed new University of Edinburgh building.Another angle of the proposed new University of Edinburgh building.
Another angle of the proposed new University of Edinburgh building. | University of Edinburgh

Approving the plans, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposals will not harm listing buildings or their settings and they are acceptable.

“None of the identified matters constitute compelling material considerations for not approving the proposals.

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“The proposals comply with the relevant policies of the Development Plan and there are no compelling material considerations for not approving them.”

The university has three years to carry out the works. No development shall commence until full landscape information, including details of all hard and soft surface materials, boundary treatments, planting, implementation and maintenance, has been submitted to and approved in writing by the planning authority.

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