Developers have 40 per cent chance of winning Edinburgh planning appeals

City planning system is seen as 'a bit of a gamble'

Planning decisions made at the City Chambers are often overturned on appeal

DEVELOPERS who appeal to the Scottish Government have a 40 per cent chance of winning approval for new housing schemes in Edinburgh, official data suggests.

The Scottish Government has published a list of planning appeals over the past five years involving developments of ten or more houses and the decisions reached.

It shows that of 35 appeals in the Capital decided since the start of 2015, 14 were allowed and 21 dismissed.

Concerns have been voiced previously over how frequently the government overturns local decisions made by councils.

And today Lothian Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said developers must not get the idea that planning approval is inevitable.

She said: “This number goes to show that planning proposals and developers must remain subject to continued scrutiny. It is imperative that local development plans are adhered to in order to avoid damaging our diminishing green spaces and creating further impact on the city’s heritage.

“Applications submitted by large developers – and approval for those applications – must pay heed to resident objections, who often have to live with the consequences of developments within their areas.”

The appeals allowed included the proposal for an indicative 3396 homes at West Harbour Road, Granton, 1400 homes near Edinburgh Airport, as well as residential developments at Gilmerton Station Road, Lasswade Road and Gilmerton Dykes Road.

John McLellan, Tory economy spokesman on the council, said: “There is a concern Edinburgh is becoming a place where local planning can be done by appeal to the Scottish Government and these figures suggest there is a lot to that.”

But he said the planning system in the city was viewed as “a bit of a gamble”.

He said: “It is a commonly held view among applicants that there is no way of telling whether an application is likely to be approved or not. Policies should be clear and transparently applied and I don’t think that happens in Edinburgh council.”

Planning convener Neil Gardiner said: “Planning decisions made by officers, committee and reporters are all based on interpretation of the Local Development Plan policies and other planning guidance where balanced decisions are reached with emphasis on aspects sometimes differing.

This is particularly complicated in Edinburgh where there are a large number of Listed Buildings and a significant part of the city is in conservation areas.”