Edinburgh's Murrayfield Sports Bar could be demolished under plans to build more student accommodation

Local councillor claims the community is ‘fed up’ with student accommodation in the area.

Developers have put forward proposals to demolish an Edinburgh sports bar to make space for student housing, amid claims the area is turning into ‘a student campus’.

Edinburgh-based company, EH1, have submitted plans for the demolition of the Murrayfield Sports Bar and erection of a purpose-built student accommodation-led (PBSA) development, with ancillary and social amenity accommodation.

The pub, in Westfield Road in Gorgie, is a popular spot for locals to watch sports, play pool, and is close to both Murrayfield Stadium and Tynecastle Stadium. Developers claim the redevelopment of the bar will also serve to ‘address major anti-social behaviour in that location’. But a local councillor has blasted the plans, claiming locals are ‘fed up’ with the swathes of student accommodation in the area.

Plans to demolish the Murrayfield Sports Bar to make way for student flats have been submitted. Picture: Google Maps

A flyer has been issued to local residents detailing the proposals and a consultation event will be held on September 5. Developers said: "The proposal by EH1 involves the demolition of the existing Murrayfield Sports Bar and erection of a purpose-built student accommodation-led (PBSA) development, with ancillary and social amenity accommodation. Redevelopment of the bar will also serve to address major anti-social behaviour in that location that has historically been created due to it. The current proposal will aim to provide communal space spread across the ground floor level.

“Development of this brownfield site will serve to address a chronic under supply of student accommodation, addressing an increasing student population and through this freeing up currently occupied housing for families. It will also boost spending in the local community resulting from students living there, with money also being available by EH1 for community benefits such as sponsorship opportunities.”

Ross McKenzie, independent councillor for Gorgie said: "We don't have much information yet, but it looks like this is yet another proposal for 100 per cent student housing. People in Gorgie are absolutely fed up of this. Westfield Road alone has a new 400 bed student block recently opened with another 300 bed block in the pipeline. The area desperately needs family-sized mainstream housing. Instead, it's being turned into a student campus without any respect for the views and needs of the community"

A spokesperson for EH1 said: “This proposed development of student accommodation on Westfield Road, by Edinburgh-based developer EH1, will bring considerable benefits to the local area. These include redeveloping a site that has been the subject of major anti-social behaviour and providing much needed accommodation.

“As is well-known, a growing demand for student accommodation has seen it greatly outstrip supply, and places significant pressure on traditional family housing stock. Developments such as this are freeing up accommodation more suitable for families in the local area, which would have previous been occupied by students. According to the 2021/22 report from HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency), there is an unmet student demand pool in Edinburgh of 16,850 students, which factors in the consented pipeline of schemes coming to the market (figure could be higher due to timing of data collection which captured the tail end of Covid and online learning).

“Development will also boost spending in the local community resulting from students living there, with money also being available by EH1 for community benefits such as sponsorship opportunities.”