Edinburgh Council approves short term lets plans for Canongate

PROPOSALS to transform an office block into short term lets has been unanimously approved by councillors.

The Canongate officers will be converted into short term lets, Picture: Greg Macvean

The building, which site on the Royal Mile at Canongate, will be converted into 11 short term lets – along with an office or retail until on the ground floor.

Officers told the city council’s development management sub-committee that the proposals will “help support retail and commercial activity on the Canongate”.

When initial plans were submitted earlier this year, Bill Cowan, Old Town Community Council’s planning and transport secretary, warned that the rise of short term lets has “already critically damaged local amenity and liveability for actual residents of the Old Town”.

The developers, Canongate Limited, say that the company that will let and manage the flats are “one of Edinburgh’s premier operators” of short term let accommodation and that they “operate a zero-tolerance strategy” to anti-social behaviour and noise.

Planning convener, Cllr Neil Gardiner, said: “We don’t have the presumption to revert to residential usage and we have to judge this with current planning policy.