Plans for 20 flats at former landmark Edinburgh pub rejected due to lack of affordable homes
Long-planned flats proposal rejected by Edinburgh council
Plans for 20 new flats at the site of a former landmark Edinburgh pub have been rejected due to lack of affordable homes in the proposals.
Home Inc Ltd submitted plans to the City of Edinburgh Council in January 2025, to build 20 flats, a commercial unit, access, landscaping and associated works at 30 Longstone Road, the site of the former Longstone Inn.
The popular pub shut its doors in July 2020 after concerns about erosion caused by the Water of Leith which flows past the pub. And, the adjoining residential and commercial buildings were partially demolished after a fire in February 2022.
The plans to transform this derelict section of Longstone were rejected on August 28, with planners stating that the planned development does not provide sufficient information to determine the affordable housing provision.
David Givan, the council’s chief planning officer, said: “Overall, the proposal is contrary to the Development Plan. The submitted cost plan has been reviewed by an independent surveyor and it has been determined that on-site affordable housing would not be viable.
“The development does not include sufficient provision for affordable housing and it is therefore contrary to Local Development Plan policy Hou 2.”
The rejected plans would have seen the demolition of the existing public house to make way for a development consisting of 20 flats with a ground floor commercial unit.
The building would have been five storeys in total with a maximum height of 16.3 metres facing Longstone Road, width of 31m, and depth of 21m. It would have had buff and grey shades of brick material, with textured detailing facing Longstone Road.
At ground floor, there would have been be a commercial unit (92 m²), a cycle store (36 m²) and a bin store (39 m²). The works would have included alterations to the existing footway fronting Longstone Road.
The rejected plans had received 13 public comments on the council’s online planning portal, with 11 objections and two neutral comments.
Reasons for objecting included concerns regarding flooding from the Water of Leith and Murray Burn at the rear of the site, as well as traffic and a lack of parking.
Concerns were also raised about the density and height of the proposed new building, with the loss of a pub and takeaway, and the adverse impact on local infrastructure and services also highlighted.
One local resident said: “The traffic in this area is terrible most of the time. The utility companies are constantly digging up roads in the immediate area and using temporary traffic lights making parking bad at the best of times without adding to this with the number of flats you want to build. As a disabled driver this makes things extremely difficult.”
Another local added: “Perhaps, a private car park on the ground floor would help, but this will still not resolve the car spacing issue. Also, the community would need new pubs, shops or activity centres rather than new flats.”
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