Plans for new homes to replace Edinburgh's last major brewery recommended for approval

The plans for the former Caledonian brewery in Shandon would see both the conversion of historic buildings for housing and the construction of new residential blocks, creating a total of 168 new homes on the site.

The scheme, put forward by regeneration specialist Artisan Real Estate, would involve the selective demolition of some of the existing buildings, but Artisan has said it will respect and preserve the brewery’s unique heritage and character.

Developers Artisan say the heritage of the old brewery will be respected. | supplied

Around one-fifth of the new homes would be housed in existing buildings. And the new development would reflect the original footprint of the brewery, including recreating the skyline of the maltings building which was demolished following a fire almost 30 years ago.

The report by planning officials, which will be considered by councillors on May 21, says: "The proposal at this vacant Category B-listed brewery complex delivers a well-designed housing development that is appropriate in its context. The re-use of a brownfield site and vacant buildings in the urban area is supported and despite some demolition to less valuable parts and buildings of the brewery the proposal successfully retains the most valuable parts of the listed building whilst introducing a new use to the site."

The Caledonian brewery was founded in 1869 by George Lorimer and Robert Clark and is the last evidence of the city’s once extensive brewing heritage. It closed in 2022 and Artisan bought it the following year.

Artisan managing director for Scotland, David Westwater said: “Artisan is committed to delivering this new, sustainable residential neighbourhood in a complex and historically important city centre site, providing a healthy mix of new homes and affordable housing in line with the council’s policy to help tackle the city’s housing emergency.

“Building high-quality, sustainable homes in sensitive and unique urban sites such as the brewery site is a lengthy, complex and expensive process – but we are confident that our comprehensive proposals will set new standards for the homes-led regeneration for this historically important city centre site.

“Artisan is committed to delivering high quality urban living for everyone in well-connected central areas bringing interest, investment and life back into the heart of our cities, rather than seeing city centre sites just being delivered for student accommodation and build-to-rent properties.

“Whilst we support a vibrant mix of residential tenures, including student accommodation and build-to-rent, we believe there should be a place for mainstream housing in our city centres too.”

The brewery still contains a vast amount of brewing equipment - including the last remaining direct-fired ‘coppers’ to be used in the UK, which have been attracting the interest of independent breweries across the world.

The brewery still contains a lot of equipment, including the last remaining direct fired ‘coppers’ to be used in the UK | supplied

And Artisan has said it intends to “upcycle” as much of the equipment as possible, allowing the Caledonian brewery’s significant technical legacy to continue to play a part in today’s global brewing industry.

Mr Westwater added: “Artisan’s expertise as a regeneration specialist is being channelled to deliver proposals that respect, preserve and enhance the rich history of the Caledonian Brewery.

“From the very start, Artisan placed the preservation of the site’s unique heritage right at the heart of our approach, creating a distinctive footprint which both reflects the brewery’s historical legacy whilst also delivering new homes in an attractive, sustainable and accessible twenty-minute neighbourhood.”