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.
Latest Updates From The New Town Quarter Project Team
Following the consultation for our planning application which was submitted at the end of August this year, we have been liaising with the City of Edinburgh Council planning department and have agreed to make some technical design amendments to specific areas of the development proposals, in line with advice received.
These amendments include:
• moving the office building further away from Fettes Row • reducing massing on the top floor of the northern residential blocks to improve the view from Dundonald Street • increasing the use of natural stone in the office building facing Fettes Row and the building on Eyre Place, along with some of the hard landscape paving on the main route through to the King George V Park • design refinement to some areas of the elevations on Dundas Street and Eyre Place.
The drawings and supporting information will be with the Council by the end of this week. A further consultation period will run from 11 December to 12 January and will be available for review on the Council’s portal. You can access the link here:
We will be in contact with the relevant local community groups to advise them of the changes and we will make ourselves available to provide any additional information required if we can.
We hope you find the time to look at the updated proposals and provide comment. If you do have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
In the meantime, I would like to thank everyone once again for their input to the proposals so far and hope you are able to enjoy the festive season. Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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 the New Year.
For more information on the New Town Quarter, please click HERE
Business Benefits To The City Centre
A recent survey of 32 local businesses which surround the New Town Quarter area showed overwhelming support for the development plans. The area brings together an interesting mix of mainly independent traders – including cafes, restaurants, bars, hairdressers and guest houses.
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.
Click HERE to read some of the comments posted by local businesses who support our planning application.
Click HERE to find out how the New Town Quarter will help local businesses back on the road to recovery.
Feedback & Contact
For more information on New Town Quarter, please contact:
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
