Edinburgh offices to become new piano school after Hermiston plans approved
The ground floor of a large Edinburgh office block is set to become a new piano school, after the Hermiston plans were approved by the council.
Livingston Piano lessons submitted a change of use application in January to turn the ground floor of Hermiston Quay at 5 Cultins Road into a new piano school, to be operated by Bright Path Piano Lessons.
On March 5, the council’s planning department approved the plans, with the council’s chief planning officer David Givan saying: “The proposed use is appropriate in this location, helping to support local area vitality, and principles of sustainability with re use of an existing building.
“The proposals comply with the development plan, there are no material considerations that outweigh this conclusion.”
No external or internal physical external alterations are proposed as part of this application, although the plans show that the current two office spaces will become two teaching rooms and a reception. While the storage area and kitchen will remain.
In the planning documents, the applicant said: “The existing use as Class 4 has been demonstrated to be no longer required by a previous significant occupant and there has been limited interest in the building in it’s current configuration.
“The proposed use as Class 10 will allow a growing, high quality business the space and opportunity to continue to experience growth without detracting from the overall character of the area as a business focused area.
“Bright Path Piano Lessons provide high quality after-school music tuition to local children ages 5 to 16. The studio prides themselves on their unique teaching approach.
“For the reasons given above we believe the proposed use demonstrates a use that is appropriate to the site and complements the character on the centre maintaining and increasing its vitality and viability as it will bring regular trade to the adjacent units.
“We recommend that the application is passed for approval and welcome your response.”
Bright Path Piano Lessons currently employ eight tuition staff across their current sites, expanding into this unit will allow them to increase this to 15 staff.
At the approved new piano school there will be a maximum of four staff on site at any one time. The number of pupils on site at one time will be a maximum of 10, with pupils arriving and leaving throughout the day and into the evening.
The proposed opening hours are Monday to Thursday 4pm to 8.15pm, Friday 1pm to 7pm, and on Saturday and Sunday 9.30am to 2.30pm. The business uses headphones on their equipment and there is no anticipation of increased noise as a result of the change of use.
The site also benefits from the existing car parking providing 65 parking spaces, including four disabled access spaces, and further space for up to 16 bicycles.
It is not anticipated that this change of use would increase the usage of the car park or public transport beyond its capacity. Staff and pupils will be encouraged where possible to use public transport and other ‘green’ travel methods such as cycling.
The chosen site has been marketed for rent since around October 2025 following sale of the entire building under vacant possession after the previous occupant vacated the property.
The building is understood to have been previously occupied in it’s entirety by National Trust for Scotland operating as their head office, having occupied the building since around 2009.
The area under subject of the application is around 138sqm, and the entire building has been most recently marketed with an internal area of around 2800sqm.
The applicant now has three years to begin work at Hermiston Quay on this approved change of use application, which received no public comments on the council’s online planning portal.
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