More student flats for Gorgie - your views online

Labour councillor Ross McKenzie, who claims Gorgie is “flooded” with purpose-built student accommodation, is calling for controversial plans for the former Tynecastle High School site to be thrown out.

Gillian Barr: There are enough student flats. What's needed is affordable housing for people on low income

Kerry Millar: I work in the area so I know the demographic a little. Surely more accommodation for students moves them out of the other rentals and creates less competition for housing, lowering the rates and prices?

Joan Polson: When are they going to build new universities or colleges to fill all the student accommodation?

An artist’s impression of the plan for student flats on the school site

Elaine Hutton: There's not enough student housing. Term has started and there are still a lot of students without accommodation.

Sheena Lennie: What about cheap single flats for people that come from Edinburgh? There are no flats for young single people that they can afford.

Alice Horsman: Even as a loyal Hearts supporter, I am in agreement with this proposed development for students, who often bring new life to frankly depressed parts of Edinburgh. Look at Bruntsfield, Newington and Marchmont.

Laithy Bee: More student accommodation equals fewer students occupying normal housing stock equals more housing available for the general public… which is what the city needs and wants. It really isn’t hard to understand.

Karen Flame McKelvie: It’s not as simple as that. The students occupy HMO properties which landlords charge a fortune for because the rents are split between several people. Families can’t afford those rents, and why should landlords take a loss?

Robert Solway: With more students living in “student accommodation” then maybe market forces could leave landlords with little option but to reduce their rental to an amount families can afford. It would probably be the case that said landlords would not lose money, but would not make an obscene profit on a rental either. With all tenants banding together it may be that landlords could be compelled to keep properties habitable. This is the sort of thing people should be pushing.

Elayne Young: Gorgie is oversubscribed with students now. but it’s the developers and council that folk need to get angry about, not the students. Plus these blocks are pretty unaffordable for working-class Scottish students and they are broom cupboards with a wee desk thrown in. The ones by my work command about £1k per month for a room the size of my hall cupboard.

Morag Arnott: Serious question – why are there so many students in Edinburgh? I don't remember them almost outnumbering the local population when I was young.

Edwin Mitchell: They could put some nice flats for the elderly there so I don’t have to walk to far to the match!

Fiona Savage: All new student accommodation needs to team up with the council to create intergenerational living accommodation between students and senior citizens. The University of California, Berkeley, Drake University, Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota all have intergenerational living programmes. Intergenerational programmes help bridge gaps between the generations, break down stereotypes, and are a win for everyone involved.

Tony Stamp: I can see homeless students living on the streets of Edinburgh if locals continually deny student accommodation. Shame on anyone wanting to see students living rough on the streets.

Irvine Welsh tweet

Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh has deleted a “classless” tweet posted about Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her funeral after an online backlash.

Mandy Parry: He professes to not understand why people get upset about such things. So where does he draw the line? I wonder what his view of “not acceptable” is and what it would take to upset him. The simple concept of knowing the difference between right and wrong is clearly beyond him. This vindicates why I've never been a fan. I could use other, more colourful, words to describe him, but hey, that would lack class.

Gordon Gillies: Ignorance always rises to the surface.