Plans for student accommodation and flats to be built on Leith scrapyard which featured in Trainspotting 2
Developers have signalled their plans to build student accommodation and private flats on a scrapyard in Leith which featured in Trainspotting 2, ten months after a similar application was rejected.
Councillors in February rejected an application by Stephen G Dalton & Son to build 46 student flats and 46 rental units due to the scheme not conforming with the city’s development plan.
In the months since, the developers have appealed the decision twice – having lost their first attempt, they are now waiting for the Court of Session to look at the case.
But they have also filed a notice with the council’s planning department that they intend to put in a new application for a similar scheme on the property off Salamander Street.
Details of what is planned are scarce, but the firm says it looks to build student housing, flats and commercial space on the family-owned scrapyard – like in their first application.
Next Wednesday, councillors will hear what information is available during the city’s monthly development sub-committee.
The firm first appealed the rejection to the Scottish Government, with reporter Nick Smith reconsidering the application.
He decided in favour of the council on June 16, saying the appeal proposal by the developers had ‘fundamental shortcomings’.
But on July 25, the firm appealed that decision again, taking the government’s planning appeals service to the Court of Session – though the case has not been heard yet.
The original application would have housed 230 students in a mix of cluster flats and studios, as well as retail space on the ground floor.
One, two, three and five bedroom units would have been built in the private rental portion of the scheme, with 16 of them being priced more affordable.
Councillors sided with city housing officials in rejecting the application, which was done on a number of grounds.
Officers said the site did not deliver enough homes, nor did it have enough density, for the piece of land the proposal was on.
They added that the number of flats getting insufficient sunlight, as well as the number of units only having windows on one wall, did not line up with city design guidance.
Further, they said the site had too many student flats and too few rental units.
Scotland’s environment watchdog also warned that the building would be at risk of flooding in a storm – but officers said there was no way to mitigate this within the building’s footprint.
The developers will hold engagement sessions about the project at Leith Library on January 15 and February 5 between 3pm and 7pm.
Councillors will note information about the proposed application at the next meeting of the Development Management Sub-Committee on Wednesday, December 17, which you can view here (https://democracy.edinburgh.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=148&MId=7811).