Edinburgh student housing: Plans for 141 student rooms take a step closer after investment from Singapore firm

Works at East Newington Place and the Canongate are set to be underway ‘in the coming months’

Works to build 141 student bedrooms across two Edinburgh sites are set to get underway ‘in the coming months’ after plans were approved in late 2022.

York-based property development company, S Harrison, have now secured additional investment from Singapore-based private equity firm Q Investment Partners (QIP) to build purpose built student housing (PBSA) at the Canongate and East Newington Place. Both developments will offer separate study rooms, multimedia rooms, gyms, break out space, cycle storage and open courtyards.

The planning application for East Newington Place was originally rejected by the council’s development management sub-committee in March 2022 where councillors unanimously agreed the development would create an excessive concentration of students in the area. But in September of the same year, planning permission was later granted following an appeal by the applicant to transform the disused commercial unit into PBSA.

Works are due to commence in 'the coming months'

David Clancy, from S Harrison, said: “Both schemes are very well-designed and in highly sought-after locations really close to the university, which will make them extremely popular with students. Construction work at East Newington Place will start in the coming months, with the scheme complete and ready for the 2025 student intake. We also expect demolition work to begin imminently at Canongate, with the development ready to open for the start of the 2026 academic year.”

The Canongate development which is located opposite the Edinburgh University Holyrood Campus will see the partial demolition of existing buildings to accommodate for 76 studio rooms. The four-storey East Newington Place development will provide 65 studio rooms and replace a disused commercial unit.

Peter Young, chief executive and co-founder of QIP, said: “This latest venture marks our ongoing strategic collaboration with S Harrison, our second partnership with them, underscoring QIP's unwavering dedication to the UK PBSA sector.”