Edinburgh planning: Plans submitted to build four new three-storey townhouses at Craighouse

The site on land 30 metres west of 17 Craiglea Place currently has detailed planning consent for four townhouses as part of the wider Craighouse Development. The majority of the Craighouse Campus has now been re-developed with a mix of conversion and new-build townhouses and apartments.

An artist's impression of the proposed Craiglea townhouses. | City of Edinburgh Council

This new proposal by Aerof Craighouse retains four townhouses within a similar footprint and scale but with partly redesigned internal layouts and exterior appearance.

The council confirmed that, in principle, the new design of the residential units more closely aligns with the positive characteristics of the immediate surroundings. And following council concerns about parking provision, the applicant’s latest plans include half the original parking spaces, down from eight to four.

An artist's impression of the rear of the proposed Craiglea properties. | City of Edinburgh Council

In the planning documents, the applicant said: “The proposed townhouses have been intentionally redesigned to draw upon and better compliment the positive characteristics of the surrounding area compared to the consented townhouses at the site.

“Specifically, the proposed townhouses’ footprint is moderately adjusted to better align with the neighbouring terraces to the site’s east, and their materiality now includes buff sandstone cladding and slate roofing, which is an improved outcome compared to the existing consented design that featured red sandstone and timber cladding.

“The proposal reduces the number of parking spaces compared to the consented scheme, which allows for the increased provision of publicly accessible open space.

“The proposal retains all existing trees that were not already consented to be removed under the original planning consent, as well as the Craighouse boundary wall and gate along the site’s eastern boundary.

“The proposal does not alter the overall residential dwelling numbers approved under the original planning consent for the Craighouse development. Therefore, the proposal will not generate additional traffic compared to the consented scheme.”

The view of the existing site, from Craighouse Campus. | City of Edinburgh Council

The site is adjacent to an existing row of two-storey traditional townhouses that line the southern side of Craiglea Place. The clubhouse for the Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club is near the site’s southern boundary, while green space and woodland associated with the Craighouse development extend to the site’s north and south.

Vehicular and pedestrian access is provided to the site via an existing driveway off Craiglea Place.

Each of the proposed four-bedroom townhouses will feature a front and rear garden, and the plans includes 268m2 of shared landscaped area.

Detailed plans showing the proposed Craiglea townhouses in Edinburgh. | City of Edinburgh Council

The primary materials proposed are buff sandstone to the front elevation and gables with white render to the rear. The roof is slate with metal standing-seam clad dormer windows. The window frames and doors are proposed to be dark grey.

The plans, which have so far received two objections online, will now be decided upon by the City of Edinburgh Council’s planning department.