Plans submitted to turn Edinburgh car park into new five-storey block of 19 apartments in Leith
Plans have been submitted to turn an Edinburgh car park into a new five-storey block of 19 apartments.
The plans were submitted to the council’s planning department on January 15 by SC Leith Limited for the new apartment block on a car park 30 metres west of 7 Tower Street in Leith.
The proposal is for the redevelopment of the existing surface car park and the construction of 19 one, two and three-bedroom apartments contained within a single five-storey block, including ancillary spaces, bin storage, landscaping and parking provision.
A passenger lift is included for access to the to all upper floors. The site area is 0.28 acres and is currently used for car parking in connection to the adjacent Malmaison Hotel.
In the planning documents, the applicant revealed more details about the plans: “The stone-led facade respects the built character of the conservation area, it is broken into a series of elements to create a strong vertical frontage breaking up the massing into a series of material compositions alternating between stone and harl render.
“The massing of the site has been designed to maintain the heights based off the existing Malmaison Hotel. The previous planning permission that was granted for the site had proposed a six-storey building, however, through the pre-planning process it was deemed more suitable to lower the building to five-storey.
“The design ensures that the development provides an accessible environment for everyone including the specific needs of people with disabilities and others who may be mobility impaired.”
Calling on the council to approve these plans, the applicant added: “The site offers a compelling opportunity to reinforce the urban corner and provide a high-quality residential frontage along Tower Street.
“The design creates a number of vertically framed elements and interesting juxtaposition of materials and elements that break-up the overall massing of the facade into language that relates to the street.
“The development is more than just an addition of housing units; it is a sensitive restoration of the street’s historic building line.
“The proposal offers a balanced, sustainable, and aesthetically grounded solution that respects the unique heritage of Leith while providing much-needed high-quality homes for the area.
“We believe this project constitutes a positive contribution to the Leith Conservation Area and respectfully request that the planning authority supports this application.”
The proposal keeps an element of the current car park, retaining car parking to the rear of the site. The proposal retains 15 spaces for the Malmaison Hotel and 10 spaces to for the proposed apartments.
If approved, an intensive green rooftop garden will be located on the first floor deck to the rear. Shrubs, and herbaceous plants will be planted and the rooftop garden will incorporate paths, and seating areas for the residents to enjoy.
The proposals also include private balconies of 6.3-4.2 m2 to each of the 18 apartments on the first to fourth floors. The proposal does not meet the 35 per cent affordable housing for the residential developments over 12 units.
Adjacent to the site is the Malmaison Hotel, which was the old sailors home built in 1883. Formerly known as the “Angel Hotel,” the Baronial-style building was renovated in 1994 to become the hotel it is today, preserving its historic facade with extensions added to the original building.
The council’s planning department will now decide whether or not to approve this planning application, which has already received two objections on the council’s online planning portal, although these comments have not yet been made public.
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