New 218-bed five-storey Premier Inn hotel at Edinburgh Airport approved
A new 218-bed, five-storey Premier Inn hotel is set to be built at Edinburgh Airport after the plans were approved by the council.
The plans submitted by Riverstone Hotels Ltd & RHASS include a licensed restaurant/ bar with access, landscaping, parking and associated infrastructure/ engineering works, on land 100 metres south of 1 Fairview Road, next to the existing Moxy Hotel.
The currently vacant site was previously used and occupied by farm buildings and a golf driving range.
The plans for the new hotel include 100 parking spaces, six motorcycle space, 22 bicycle spaces and 17 electric vehicle charging spaces.
This new Premier Inn hotel comes just five months after plans were approved to turn an Edinburgh New Town office block into a new 102-room Premier Inn hotel, and a couple of months after planning permission was granted for the conversion of Capital House in the centre of Edinburgh into a 195-bedroom Premier Inn.
Approving these plans on January 27, the council’s chief planning officer David Givan said: “The proposal complies with National Planning Framework 4, the Edinburgh Local Development Plan and the relevant non-statutory guidance.
“The principle of hotel use in this location is acceptable. The design, scale and layout are appropriate for this site and the development would not adversely impact upon amenity.
“The landscape and biodiversity proposal will contribute positively to a sense of place and deliver biodiversity enhancement to the site. Transport and parking, and flooding and drainage proposals are acceptable.
“Subject to the recommended conditions and the conclusion of a legal agreement in relation to a tram contribution and West Edinburgh Transport Contribution the proposal hotel is acceptable and complies with the development plan.
“There are no material considerations which outweigh this conclusion. Therefore, the proposal is acceptable.”
The plans show that the new hotel will be blue brick whilst the upper levels are grey and blue aluminium horizontal cladding. A horizontal rhythm is formed with feature cladding defining the fenestration pattern.
The windows shall be dark grey framed to compliment the metal cladding panel. Dark metal louvres are proposed at roof level to screen rooftop plant.
There will be dedicated bin stores to manage the collection, separation, and storage of waste. The stores will be located within the back of house area, next to the delivery entrance.
In the planning documents, the applicant said: “The hotel will offer a range of hotel rooms and types to account for the differing needs of guests, including accessible rooms and interconnecting rooms.
”The proposal development would contribute to economic growth and represents significant investment in the tourism economy of the city and enhancement of the facilities available at the Royal Highland Centre.
“The same interior finishes and design will be found across all rooms and the incorporation of a clear and concise way-finding signage strategy will be key to creating an accessible and inclusive hotel environment.
“The design is developed in response to the site conditions, positioning the proposed building south of the Moxy hotel and the swale, which informed the layout through the flood risk assessment.
“Thoughtful choice of materials and influencing characteristics of the surrounding context are reflected in the decision making seen in the proposed scheme.
“The proposed material palette is in keeping with the surrounding context.
“The proposal represents an appropriate hotel development at a location where hotel development is supported. It will provide significant enhancement to the operation of the Royal Highland Centre by increasing the amount of quality accommodation in the area for events held at the centre.”
Two public consultations were held at The Pavilion at The Royal Highland Centre, in November and December 2024. No feedback was received.
The applicant now has three years to begin work to build this new hotel next to Edinburgh Airport, with the online application receiving two neutral private comments.
The approval comes with a host of conditions, including that no development shall take place on the site until a 'Notice of Initiation of Development' has been submitted to the council stating the intended date on which the development is to commence.
Other conditions include Environmental Protection, Transport Planning Informatives and Aerodrome Safeguarding.
For the latest public notices from your area, please visit: https://publicnoticeportal.uk/