St James Quarter has released a brand-new video taking viewers ‘Behind the Quarter’, with the team at Edinburgh’s game changing development exploring one of the most significant city centre transformations currently underway in the UK.
The video contains exclusive never-before-seen footage of inside St James Quarter, featuring a special behind the scenes sneak peek of the stunning shopping galleria which will host over 80 brands and an enticing mix of restaurant and bars.
The video dives into the history of the site and showcases what is to come for Edinburgh’s new retail-led district.
The first episode of the Behind the Quarter series features Martin Perry, Director of Development, Nick Peel, Managing Director and Rochelle Burgess, Marketing Director at St James Quarter.
“We spent really the first two years demolishing and then excavating down to the lowest level and then the next two and a half years building back up.” – Martin Perry
“When I look at the quality of the work, it is a cathedral in a world heritage site.” – Nick Peel
“We aren’t a shopping centre, we’re creating this new district.” – Rochelle Weir
The team discuss the St James Quarter journey so far – from concept to construction, details of the new brands opening next month, and share their thoughts on how the new lifestyle district is set to transform and enhance the city.
PLATFORM_’s planning application for a Build-to-Rent (BTR) scheme at Bonnington Road Lane was ‘minded to grant with conditions’ by the City of Edinburgh Council Development Management Sub-Committee yesterday.
PLATFORM_ intends to build 453 BTR units, including 25% affordable housing. BTR is an innovative housing solution where homes are built, rented, and managed over the longer term. They are not for sale.
The site extends from the former Bonnington Resource Centre at the southern edge and over the recently demolished John Lewis depot to the north.
The development is a mixture of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, duplexes, and studios, and will benefit from on-site concierge and maintenance staff. The proposals also include communal amenity spaces such as a residents’ lounge, roof terraces, a Bike Café and Workshop and gym.
To help create a vibrant atmosphere, the proposals also include retail and employment space at ground level which will be available to residents, start-up companies, and other workers.
Additionally, the development will create a public pocket park, a new pedestrian priority public street connecting Bonnington Road Lane and Anderson Place, and will replant 80 additional trees across the site.
PLATFORM_ has undertaken an extensive community and stakeholder engagement programme.
A community consultation was held in December 2019 and readvertised again in December 2020 to demonstrate improvements made since the original May 2020 submission.
Proposals were recommended for approval ahead of yesterday’s meeting after thorough discussions and collaboration with city planners.
Turley provided planning support and architectural design was produced by jmarchitects. Hirst were the landscape architects and Harley Haddow the project engineers.
A spokesperson for PLATFORM_ said: “We are very pleased to have received approval for our high-quality Build-to-Rent scheme at Bonnington Road Lane.
“The development will offer residents flexibility on a wide range of housing needs. The project will support the delivery of regeneration within the local area.
“Our key aim is to create quality, sustainable, and responsibly managed properties and we are looking forward to delivering this for Edinburgh.
“We will continue to update the community as the project develops and look forward to working with our partners across Edinburgh to deliver this exciting development.”
Plans for the ‘largest and most important brownfield development in Edinburgh city centre for a generation’ were approved by the City of Edinburgh Council yesterday (Wednesday 17th February).
The development will create 350 new homes and provide 700 new jobs, giving a major economic boost to Edinburgh’s city centre and the Capital’s economy.
The construction phase alone will boost the local economy by more than £27.7 million a year while work is carried out, and the development will further boost the local economy by £35.5m each year once complete.
Work will begin soon and the New Town Quarter development could be complete as early as 2024.
Ross McNulty, Development Director at Ediston, said: “We have worked very hard to comply with all the relevant policies for such an important site. Our design has been driven by a thorough understanding of the heritage issues associated with being adjacent to Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, and to open up the area, breathing life and activity into what is currently a redundant brownfield part of the city.
“We have conducted the largest consultation exercise ever carried out in this local community and, as a result, we have made many changes and improvements based on the feedback we have received.
“New Town Quarter will be one of the best places to live and work in one of the world’s finest cities and will help make Edinburgh’s heart beat even stronger. We are looking forward to turning our vision into a reality.”
Ediston and Orion Capital Managers are working together to deliver one of the most complex city-centre developments in the UK. New Town Quarter is a £250 million development that has involved extensive local community consultation during the last 18-months.
Planning proposals have involved complex negotiations over major infrastructure matters as well as providing sensitive consideration to environmental concerns given the proximity of the much-loved King George V Park.
Plans include creating 350 new homes as well as office accommodation that will support 700 jobs and add £35 million per annum to the city’s GDP. The construction work alone will generate nearly £27 million of economic development value and support 600 jobs.
The final proposals are expected to go before the City of Edinburgh Council Planning Committee in the near future.
Ross McNulty, Development Director of Ediston, said: “We’ve gone the extra mile to take the local community with us. We’re determined that this major development becomes a positive driver of significant economic activity for Edinburgh city centre.”
Clarification on Trees and Building Heights
We are aware that some of the information currently presented on a Fettes Row and Royal Crescent Association backed-website is inaccurate and we welcome this opportunity to provide clarification.
It is not correct to state that our three planning applications are a threat to many trees being removed, as part of the development. The largest single number of trees being removed is in Eyre Place which is covered by a previous Planning Consent already agreed by the Council.
Some other trees are being removed due to the development, but the information on the website is inaccurate. In Dundas Street, trees are being removed for two important reasons. Firstly, they will not survive the demolition of the existing buildings, and secondly to restore Dundas Street’s original building line.
In King George V Park there will be a small number of trees removed to create a new entrance to link the new route from Dundas Street to the park. The Council has confirmed these trees have a limited lifespan and would need to be removed in due course but we are also providing replacements for these trees within the same area of the park.
Our team has also sought to protect the trees at Fettes Row and Royal Crescent as much as possible to protect the outlook in this location, and the continuous screen of tree cover will be retained.
We have also made a commitment to a 25-year Tree Management Plan throughout our site, as well as helping the Council deliver improved tree management within King George V Park. The number of trees to be removed in the park is entirely a Council matter.
However, along with other investment in the park, we hope to carry out works that will improve both tree cover and the park itself. It should be noted that any additional tree planting and park improvements are not being done to facilitate our development.
In total, 68 new trees are being planted – plus however many are needed for King George V Park. We have stated before that a number of the trees need to be removed on health and safety grounds, and some are internal within the site and have no impact on the local community. We expect the development to either have a neutral impact on tree removal – or potentially a positive one.
The other matter we would like to address is that great efforts have been made to minimise the impact of the development for residents in Fettes Row and Royal Crescent. This includes keeping the buildings at the same height or lower than the adjacent buildings.
With regards to the impact on the park, we have conducted detailed and independent overshadowing studies that show the buildings closest to the park are not only fully compliant with Council guidelines but actually improve some aspects of existing overshadowing.
We appreciate that with any development there is change and we are acutely aware of the difficulties encountered with previous proposals and we respect residents’ right to comment on the proposals. All we are seeking is a fair hearing and a decision taken on the basis of Council and Scottish Government planning policies.
We have extensively consulted with the local community and interest groups and we would like all residents to consider the facts regarding the proposals and view them in the context of the Council and Scottish Government planning policies. The information set out in the Fettes Row and Royal Crescent Association-backed website does not accurately reflect our proposals.
Tree Cover on Fettes Row and Royal Crescent
One of the main priorities for the development team was protecting the tree cover in Fettes Row and Royal Crescent. New Town Quarter is well screened by trees to the south of the development and these are much appreciated by residents. The development team has worked hard to ensure that the tree screen is protected and maintained. Existing trees are largely being retained to ensure that views enjoyed by local residents can be enjoyed for a long time to come.
New and replacement trees are being provided on the street and in King George V Park. Wherever possible the development team has sought to ensure that existing trees are protected. Ross McNulty said: “Preserving the character of Fettes Row and Royal Crescent has always been one of the key objectives for the development team and we’re confident that will be achieved with our proposals.”
Current View
Proposed View
King George V Park
King George V Park is a much-loved local park. Since the early stages of the public consultation, elements of the proposals for pathways and cycling have been scaled back following feedback. We have also had further consultation with the Council to highlight the need to manage pedestrians and cyclists at the interface with the park.
The development team is also working closely with the Council to finalise additional investment in the park to help take account of the new development, as well as helping safeguard its future quality and longevity. The proposals for park investment will be finalised through a Section 75 agreement, which is currently being negotiated with the Council. Once signed, this will be a legally binding agreement.
Ross McNulty added: “We would like to thank the Friends of the Park group for engaging with us throughout the consultation process. The discussions have been thorough and complicated at times but hopefully, everyone will see the results – including replacement trees, improved pathways and investment in the park for the long-term benefit of the local community.”
Eyre Place Update
There is a separate planning application to change the site area initially proposed as a hotel to housing. The timing of this application will run behind the main application. Being aware that Eyre Place residents had concerns about overlooking from the proposed new homes, the development team has been looking at ways to address the concerns, and we believe a solution has been agreed.
Even though the current proposals would have been entirely within planning guidelines, the proposed solution has been shared with interested residents.
Ross McNulty said: “We were left in no doubt how concerned residents were regarding this aspect of the proposals and we wanted to help if we could. The housing proposals, as with the hotel, will result in improved daylighting for Eyre Place, which should also help reassure residents that we are sensitive to their interests.”
Business Benefits For the City Centre
If the New Town Quarter development progresses, it will be the first major project in Edinburgh to move forward since the start of the pandemic. As such, it has a critical role to play in boosting the regeneration of the city centre as it recovers from the crippling effects of economic lockdown.
The local area around Dundas Street brings together an interesting mix of mainly independent traders – including cafes, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and guest houses – and a recent survey of 32 local businesses which surround the New Town Quarter area showed overwhelming support for the development plans.
Many of them were hit hard when RBS vacated their premises in 2017 and are now suffering further following the ongoing trading restrictions imposed by the pandemic. The New Town Quarter will bring much-needed investment to the city centre – and most importantly, bring people back to the local area to create a vibrant and exciting new destination.
Here are some of the comments posted by local businesses who support our planning application:
“The RBS site was always a highly visible focal point for visitors and activity and all the businesses in this area benefited from it. Now, more than ever, as we recover from lockdown, we all need the site to once again be an attractive destination for both living and visiting, to both help recovery in the immediate future and over the longer-term.” – Guest House, Eyre Place
“I have gradually built up my business following the RBS relocation, but have also now been hit hard by the coronavirus lockdown. We are all desperate to stay trading in the area but need a commitment that something significant is going to be happening to transform an ugly empty building and gap site right opposite us into a thriving and busy neighbourhood that will bring people back to the area.” – Barber, Dundas Street
Feedback & Contact
For more information on New Town Quarter, contact: Ross McNulty, Development Director, Ediston.
The public will be given a chance to have their say on proposals to deliver residential-led development at 22-25 Seafield Road.
Manse (Seafield) LLP will be holding a web-based, digital consultation for their exciting residential-led mixed-use development at Seafield Road. This is at the site of the current Peter Vardy Vauxhall Garage along with neighbouring Arnold Clark and Buccleuch Property sites on Seafield Road.
The wider Seafield area, of which this forms part, is allocated for residential development in City of Edinburgh Council’s Choices for City Plan 2030. This is the first stage in the development of the Local Development Plan, which guides future development in the city.
Manse (Seafield) LLP has now submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN), which signals the intent to submit a planning application following the consultation with the City of Edinburgh Council.
The Scottish Government has suspended in-person public consultation events due to COVID-19.
Full details about the proposals will be made available to the public at 9 am on 28 January on the dedicated project website: (http://seafieldroad.scot/). An online consultation will take place between 3pm and 7pm.
Consultants will be available during those hours to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system. Feedback can also be submitted via the website and information will be made available in paper format, if requested.
Any representations or suggestions for changes to the proposals shared during the online event will be included in a Pre-Application Consultation report to accompany future applications.
Manse will work with the City of Edinburgh Council, Craigentinny and Meadowbank Community Council, and other stakeholders, to ensure the delivery of this new, exciting community quarter in line with the aspirations of the emerging Local Development Plan.
Commenting on this, Colin MacPherson from Manse LLP said:“We’re thrilled to be giving the public the chance to have a say on the future of Seafield.
“These proposals will greatly assist in the regeneration of this part of the city, and we are consulting extensively to ensure that that the public have an opportunity to input their views and help us shape our ambitious proposals.”
St James Quarter celebrates a milestone moment in Edinburgh history as construction workers secure the final flourish on the highest point of the W Edinburgh – the new centrepiece of the £1bn city centre development.
The topping out of the 1.7 million sq ft development in the heart of the Scottish capital signals the most significant transformation Edinburgh has seen in a generation. Set to open in phases, the shopping, dining and leisure elements will open in spring 2021 and the W Edinburgh will mark the final completion in 2022.
Set to employ 3,000 people, St James Quarter will be a destination like no other – bringing together brands from global to local, and convenience to luxury.
It features a shopping galleria with 80 different brands, 30 restaurants, Scotland’s first W Edinburgh hotel, a boutique Everyman Cinema, a Roomzzz Aparthotel, residential apartments and an unrivalled guest experience providing customers with an enviable events programme in a range of new and attractive public spaces.
Proposal of Application Notice lodged for residential units to replace Hotel option
Plans have been submitted to the City of Edinburgh Council for the New Town Quarter development. Proposals include a mix of new homes, offices and public amenities on the 5.9-acre former Royal Bank of Scotland site, at the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town.
We have received a huge amount of interest in our proposals – including more than 4,000 visitors to our website from Edinburgh, Scotland and across the world. This has become one of the largest consultations ever carried out for a city centre development and we would like to thank everyone who has contributed to it by passing on their views and comments, all of which has helped shape our final application.
It is hoped that the application will be discussed at committee by the City of Edinburgh Council in December 2020.
For more information on the New Town Quarter, please click HERE
Ediston and Orion Capital Managers have lodged a new Proposal of Application for the New Town Quarter, one of the largest city centre developments to come forward in Edinburgh for a generation.
Plans were originally submitted to the city council at the end of July for offices, new homes and a hotel on the 5.9 acre former Royal Bank of Scotland site on Dundas Street in the heart of the New Town.
Now, updated proposals have been brought forward to provide around 79 new residential units to replace the hotel ‘as a response to changes in the economic climate caused by the coronavirus outbreak’.
The Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) means there will now be additional public consultation for the new application – this was launched on 8th October.
Welcoming the proposals, Ross McNulty, Development Director at Ediston, said: “This is the largest brownfield site to come forward in the city centre for many years and we have worked closely with the community and local organisations to create a high quality and vibrant new mixed-use neighbourhood.
“Understandably, there is now a need to review the development mix considering the huge impact that Covid-19 has had on the Scottish and global economies.
“While we remain positive that our overall proposals are robust, the reduced activity in the hospitality sector has driven a need to consider an alternative option for the hotel element of the development.”
Ross McNulty continued: “We have already carried out one of the most extensive consultations on a development in Edinburgh, and we would like to thank all the residents and groups that have provided feedback.
“Our proposals will provide a major economic boost to the local area and to the city centre and whilst our review has shown the proposals to be robust despite the impact on the Covid-19 crisis, it has highlighted the need to consider an alternative use to the hotel.
“Edinburgh’s economy is one of the strongest and most resilient in the UK and we are encouraged that New Town Quarter remains on track.”
The PAN is to be lodged imminently with the Council and the public consultation will also be publicised and commence shortly.
The change in approach will require a separate planning application involving another public consultation programme, most likely to be held online. The overall development has already been subject to three separate consultations, the most recent of which took place online in April.
Latest research shows the New Town Quarter is poised to bring significant economic benefit to the local area, and the wider in the city centre.
The operational phase of the development the community and local organisations to create a high quality and would create more than 700 full-time jobs whilst generating an annual GVA (Gross Added Value) economic uplift of £34.4 million to the local and regional economy.
The construction phase alone would create a further £27.7 million at a regional level, creating a further 60 full time jobs. Many of the area’s local bars, restaurants, cafes, barbers, hairdressers, and shops are also set to benefit from the huge amount of business and activity that development is set to generate during construction and beyond.
For more information visit: www.newtownnorth.co.uk
The public will have the chance to view and shape the details of an exciting new residential development at Orchard Brae on Queensferry Road, in the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre.
Undertaken by real estate investor Palm Capital together with Edinburgh-based 7N Architects, the plans propose to bring a mix of apartments and townhouses to the area.
A Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) was submitted to The City of Edinburgh Council last month, highlighting the intent of the developer to lodge a planning application this year.
The proposals incorporate a mix of 62 apartments and townhouses with associated landscaping, parking and infrastructure on land surrounding Orchard Brae House.
The plans incorporate 20 percent family housing and 25 percent affordable housing, complying with the City of Edinburgh Council policy.
The proposals for this sustainable residential development aim to enhance and maintain the existing trees and landscape as well as converting 30 percent of the current car park surface into green roofs and gardens.
If approved, the proposals would also bring new residential streets and active frontages to Orchard Brae with private gardens whilst retaining the woodland fringe to Queensferry Road.
Palm Capital has now organised a digital community consultation to take place on Wednesday 21st October to provide residents with further information on the emerging proposals.
Through this consultation process, the developer is seeking input and ideas on the proposed scheme from the public, which will assist in informing the basis of the developer’s future planning applications.
With the temporary suspension of public events for major planning applications by the Scottish Government due to COVID-19, these have moved online to a dedicated website highlighting the proposals.
The website, which can be accessed at www.orchardbrae.scot, will go live on Wednesday 21st October, and a digital consultation event will take place on the same day from 3pm to 8pm. Consultants will be available to answer any questions and receive feedback through a two-way chat system during these hours. Feedback can also be submitted via the website.
Any representations or suggestions for changes to the proposals shared during the online event will be included in a Pre-Application Consultation report to accompany future applications.
Hard copies of consultation boards and feedback forms, or further information, can be obtained by phoning 0131 202 3259 or in writing to: Orbit Communications, 4 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JE or by emailing: hello@orchardbrae.scot
The deadline for submitting feedback will be Friday 6 November.
Commenting on the proposed consultation event, Gabriel Rudert from Palm Capital said: “Providing the local community with the opportunity to help shape our proposals for this exciting new residential development at the heart of Edinburgh’s city centre is important to us.
“During the event, all residents will have the opportunity to enquire further about the proposals and give their feedback, which will be thoroughly considered when shaping the eventual planning application.
“We would urge all those that can to participate in this consultation process and have their views heard.”
Plans to transform Meadowbank into one of Edinburgh’s greenest neighbourhoods were approved by councillors last week.
Shaped in response to views shared by local residents – who were keen to see more quality greenspace, places for play and better-connected walking and cycle routes brought to the area – the masterplan for Council-owned land at Meadowbank was approved by the Development Management Sub Committee on Wednesday.
The £100m project is now expected to become the first development of its size in Edinburgh to promote the Council’s net zero carbon by 2030 goals by creating a low-car, low-carbon community and energy efficient new homes.
The sustainable mixed-use development will also create jobs and a significant economic boost by regenerating a five-hectare area next to the new Meadowbank Sports Centre – which is already set to become one of the greenest and most accessible centres for community sport in the country when it opens next year.
Space for a new GP surgery and community and commercial uses, the protection of existing trees and planting of saplings plus new rain gardens also feature in landscaping designs, which aim to pay tribute to the area’s sporting and industrial heritage.
With support from Nature Scot and the Scottish Government, the Masterplan has been awarded Building with Nature accreditation, setting the standard for high-quality low carbon features, and the Council has undertaken studies on the option for ‘green roofs’. The designs have also been endorsed by Sustrans’ Places for Everyone scheme, which brings specialised active travel knowledge to the project.
Councillor Neil Gardiner, Planning Convener, said: “As a planning authority, we need make sure we protect our City’s beautiful and historic built environment, while supporting our communities to become sustainable for twenty-first century living.
“We also need to adapt our city to meet the needs of a growing population, address the increasing impact of climate change and ensure growth is responsible. These designs for Meadowbank meet these needs with plans for a truly low-carbon, low-car, energy efficient neighbourhood, featuring new affordable homes. This is a really important site for the City and I’d like to thank everyone who took time to participate in the consultation process.
“The masterplan includes homes to meet different needs, including for families. One third of the houses will be affordable, making a welcome contribution to the needs of the heroes who keep our city running every day. This masterplan, which has broad community support, offers a gold standard for new developments across the city for both the public and private sectors.”
Councillor Maureen Child, Vice Planning Convener, said: “Our aspirations for place making through our new City Plan, which we are currently drafting, are about making sure our communities continue to be great places where people want to live and visit, so feedback from the local community has been key to shaping Committee’s decision making on Meadowbank.
“I’m pleased that an open conversation has been had and that we’ve been able to agree these ambitious plans, which offer a mix of community benefits and improved facilities. It will see the community evolve into a more connected and climate conscious community, in line with our net zero carbon targets.”
Keir Bloomer, the project’s independent Sounding Board Chair, said: “The current proposals have emerged through an intensive exercise in community engagement. In addition to a number of public information sessions and consultation meetings, a Meadowbank Sounding Board was established almost two years ago.
“This group contains representatives of a wide range of local community groups and organisations, including those who were opposed to the original proposals for the site. Local councillors and others with relevant committee responsibilities are also members but they are in a minority.
“Considerable efforts have been made to ensure that the sounding board is able to express its views, regardless of whether these are favourable to the Council’s perspective or not. I was asked to chair the group as somebody who is completely independent.
“The sounding board met quite frequently until restrictions during the pandemic made this impossible. Designs for the site have been altered on a number of occasions in response to its views. As a result, the current plans are greener and more open. Housing density has been reduced and designs improved. It is intended that the sounding board will continue in existence through the development phase, acting as a strong voice for local people.”
Cathy Houston, Project Architect at Collective Architecture, said: “We are grateful for the time taken by members of the community to engage in the Meadowbank design processes.
“This is such an important site in Edinburgh’s City Centre and so it is wonderful to be at this stage with a multifaceted proposal which seeks to enrich the neighbourhood on many levels: ecologically, environmentally, socially and with a huge amount of care.
“The process undertaken with the community has ensured that the development sensitively integrates new housing, local amenities, greenspace and restored public routes east to west.”
Brenda Devlin, a local Community Councillor, said: “Using the expertise of Collective Architecture and the City of Edinburgh Council, local consultations, focus groups, workshops and public meetings were organised.
“It became obvious that the participants that attended these events were being listened to and their suggestions and ideas taken on board. The plans now being presented are a result of these consultation sessions and mostly reflect the vision of local residents, groups, organisations and businesses.
“The creation of a Sounding Board provided another opportunity for further targeted local input and a place for checks and balances to be carried out on the final plans. This eco-friendly development with a mixture of housing types, quality green spaces and community facilities makes this a very exciting development and will be an asset to our area.”
Around 600 modern energy-efficient homes – a minimum of 35% of which will be affordable – are detailed in the planning application, which is available to view as a report to Committee.
More information is available at ww.edinburgh.gov.uk/meadowbank.
A decision was reached last week on the Iona Street development by the council’s Development Management Sub-Committee and unfortunately it has been approved to go ahead.
This is obviously disappointing news for many of us but it’s worth remembering that together we have made a difference. While many of the broader changes we were calling for have not been recognised, some aspects of the development have been changed as a result of all of our efforts.
A huge thank you for your support over the past year. Our local community feels stronger as a result of the campaign.
