Tag: planning application

Trinity Academy transformation

Planning application submitted for refurbishment and Passivhaus extension at Trinity Academy 

A planning application has been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council for the second phase of development at Trinity Academy, a secondary school set within the Victoria Park conservation area in the north of the city.

The project builds upon the award-winning phase one – a new-build sports and outdoor centre that serves the local community as well as Trinity’s pupils – which opened in summer 2022.

Both phases were designed by Holmes Miller, who have a strong track record of designing Edinburgh schools such as Frogston, Canaan Lane and Victoria Primary Schools.

During consultations on the redevelopment, staff, pupils and community felt strongly that the school’s original red sandstone Victorian building on Craighall Road, dating back to 1894, should be retained, refurbished and incorporated into the new design.

If plans are approved, several newer existing school buildings which are no longer fit for purpose will be demolished to make way for a new four-storey extension to the historic building, which will offer modern learning facilities for the school’s 1200 pupils.

The school will remain open during the build and refurbishment process, with detailed plans in place for phasing and decanting to temporary accommodation on site, to minimise disruption to staff and pupils.

Inside the new extension, classroom accommodation will be arranged around a social and dining ‘heart’ which will provide a central point where the school can come together to socialise, learn and collaborate, fostering a sense of community and inclusion. A timber-clad ‘learning stair’ will also connect the school’s main reception space to the ‘heart’.  The original Victorian building will link directly to this central space, bringing both buildings together. 

Designed to meet Passivhaus standards, the extension will aim to reduce energy demand for space heating or cooling, driving down running costs and carbon emissions. It will also meet the Council’s city-wide aspirations for the curriculum to be inclusive, and to meet all digital and outdoor learning requirements.

A carefully considered landscape plan for the school grounds will maximise potential for outdoor learning, encourage sustainability and open up opportunities to support local groups. Features will include an ‘arrival plaza’ with seating and social spaces, an outdoor amphitheatre, a growing space, an outdoor gym and a wellbeing hub garden.

The landscape design creates the opportunity for connections to Trinity Primary, creating a campus with the secondary school helping integrate both schools. The landscape also incorporates cycle storage and electric vehicle charging in both secure and public areas, encouraging active travel and the 20-Minute Neighbourhood.  

Ryan Holmes, Director at Holmes Miller said: “City of Edinburgh Council asked us to create a design that would ensure Trinity Academy’s facilities were fit for the 21st Century and that would provide an inspirational learning environment for pupils.

“Alongside the existing Victorian building, the new extension will do just that, while creating a strong civic presence that is sensitive to the surrounding Victoria Park conservation area. The combination of new extension and refurbishment of the existing building represents a significant investment in the community and promotes inclusive growth through key investment.”   

John Burns, Associate at Holmes Miller added: “Building on the successful completion of Trinity Academy’s Sports Campus last year, these new plans offer a modern, exciting, and energy-efficient facility for pupils, staff and the wider community around Trinity.

“Building on this existing relationship with the school and community through ongoing engagement offers a unique opportunity to create a sense of place and new identity, which is an exciting prospect. All users of the building will benefit greatly from this next phase of redevelopment, which will create a school they can be proud of and will positively engage with.” 

Cllr Joan Griffiths, Education Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “These are really exciting times for the Trinity Academy school community after the opening of their new sports and outdoor learning centre last year. The plans for the new extension, and refurbishment of the original Victorian red sandstone main school building, have been designed following consultation with the staff, pupils and local community. 

“Another key feature of the new extension is the Passivhaus elements which significantly reduce the amount of energy used and support us in our goal of decarbonising our building stock. In August we opened our first fully Passivhaus classroom extension at Sciennes Primary School and construction work has already started on a replacement Currie High School which will be one of the first Passivhaus high schools in the country.

“These new buildings will significantly reduce heating costs, improve user comfort and the learning environment as we set the standard for how we build low carbon schools.”

Design team

Client: City of Edinburgh Council

Project Manager: Atkins Realis

MEP Engineers: Rybka

Structural Engineers: Etive

Landscape Architect: Wardell Armstrong

Passivhaus Advisor: Architype

Transformation of Leith continues with Ocean Point application

MORE STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PLANNED

Property developer S Harrison Developments has submitted a planning application for a c. £100 million residential-led development at Ocean Point 2 in Leith, adding to the ongoing transformation of the Waterfront and delivering further vibrancy to the area.

Neighbouring Ocean Point 1, the development of the brownfield site will provide two buildings and comprise a mix of build-to-rent homes (BTR), including apartments specifically for families, alongside purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), delivering a truly mixed community.

In total, 120 BTR homes are proposed, providing a mix of studio, one-bed, two-bed and three-bed apartments to meet a range of housing needs. A quarter of these are three-bed apartments, designed for families.

There are 404 PBSA beds on offer, split between cluster accommodation and studio bedrooms. The former accommodation is intended to be a mix of five and six bedrooms.

Student numbers have risen significantly in the city over recent years, with full-time student number growing by more than a quarter (25.1 per cent) between 2016/17 and 2021/22.

PBSA, of which there is little in the Leith area, has the potential to free-up much needed family homes locally currently occupied by students, says the developer.

Commercial space/co-working and amenity space are also proposed as part of Ocean Point 2, offering fantastic active frontage to Ocean Drive, with greatly enhanced public realm encouraging active lifestyles.

In addition to delivering homes, the new development will deliver significant local spend, amounting to some £5.3 million by residents and visitors annually, supporting an estimated 60 retail and leisure jobs. It has been estimated that 325 jobs will be created directly in the construction of the overall scheme.

The development neighbours Ocean Terminal, which is set to undergo a £100 million transformation, delivering a mixed-use development comprising residential, commercial, retail and hospitality.

The extension of the tram line between Edinburgh and Ocean Terminal also provides connectivity between the development and Edinburgh city centre within 20 minutes.

Harrison has a long pedigree of working in the city, ranging from delivering the Malmaison at St Andrew Square to student developments at Westfield and Gorgie and hotel development at Osborne House, Haymarket.

A spokesperson for Harrison Developments commented: “Our proposed development, if approved, will bring much-needed homes and student accommodation to an area which is undergoing a rapid transformation, delivering a truly mixed community.

“Regenerating a current brownfield site, this development boasts excellent transport links, especially with the new tram line, and will deliver a significant investment into the local community.”

Planning and development consultancy Turley provided planning services for the project with CDA acting as architects.

Regeneration: Planning application submitted for Art Works in Granton

National Galleries of Scotland submits full planning application for transformational major development in North Edinburgh

National Galleries of Scotland has submitted ambitious plans to construct a new collection storage, conservation, community space and research facility for the national collection of art in Granton,

The Art Works will allow everyone to explore, discover, and engage with Scotland’s national art collection. The historic collection of the Royal Scottish Academy will also be housed in the new building along with the home of the Demarco Archive. 

The Art Works will offer an additional 11,000m² of quality space – the equivalent of two playing fields – to make the collection more accessible to the public than ever before.  Alongside a vastly improved digital offering, the purpose-built facility will deliver a modern environment in which members of the public, colleagues, students and researchers can engage with the works stored there. 

Much more than a world-class building to care for Scotland’s national art collection, The Art Works will be created with the needs of the local community at its heart. Inside there will be spaces for public use, including social areas and amenities for visitors’ comfort and enjoyment, including a community studio, community support space, further education rooms and a Changing Places toilet, as well as collection viewing rooms and study spaces.

Outside there will be opportunities for activity areas and bringing the environment to life, including new green routes through to the Waterfront. Several projects with local partners are underway, with completed projects including a collaboration with local charities and social enterprises to make 1000 art-themed face coverings for local people and visits for nursery groups to enjoy the community orchard which is currently on part of the site. 

Located at the heart of one of Scotland’s most diverse yet socioeconomically deprived areas, the facility sits at the heart of the Granton Waterfront regeneration area and will make a significant contribution to the regeneration process. It will seek to be inclusive, connecting to other facilities and partners in the area both physically and visually. 

Sustainability is central to the National Gallery of Scotland’s vision for The Art Works. The plans include sustainable building practices which minimise energy impact and provide quality of life opportunities for the local community.

As the country’s largest building designed to the Passivhaus standard, it will go beyond what is required by the Scottish Building Standards. 

Previously known as the National Collection Facility, proposals for a building of this kind have been in the early stages of concept development since 2015.

Now known as The Art Works, the project aims to bring Scotland’s vast and extraordinary national art collection into a single, future-proofed location. Prior to and following submission of the Proposal of Application Notice in May 2022, the National Galleries of Scotland, and their consultant design team, worked closely with the local community, key stakeholders and the planning authority to prepare the planning submission. 

The collection is currently stored across several sites where access and space are extremely limited, logistics are difficult, and conditions are suboptimal for enabling the full potential for public access, conservation and research to be realised. It also means it can be challenging for works to be made available for display and loan.

The Art Works will be instrumental in addressing these issues, enabling much greater access to and engagement with Scotland’s incredible collection of art treasures and safeguarding the future of this publicly owned, renowned national collection. 

Sir John Leighton, Director-General of the National Galleries of Scotland said: ‘National Galleries of Scotland is happy to now be able to submit a full planning application following extensive consultation with the communities of North Edinburgh.

“This is an incredibly exciting moment in the realisation of The Art Works project. This entirely new facility will provide state-of-the- art spaces for the management and distribution of Scotland’s art, deliver world-class services for staff, researchers and visitors and provide a significant, long-term contribution to benefit and enhance the local community for years to come.’ 

Yet more student accommodation: this time it’s Jock’s Lodge

THE WILLOW NO MORE – another local boozer bites the dust

A planning application by Alumno Group for high-quality purpose-built student accommodation, including ground floor commercial space at Jock’s Lodge, has been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council.

The proposals by the specialist student accommodation provider are located on the corner of Restalrig Road South and London Road. 

The development will include 191 student rooms and the constrained nature of the site on a busy main arterial route means that it is well suited to student accommodation. This will serve to address rapidly increased demand and provide a much-needed boost for local businesses through delivering increased footfall.

Existing local businesses on the site all agreed to its sale and are committed to the redevelopment of the site, as current facilities are no longer commercially viable.

Development will comprise a mix of single bedrooms with shared kitchens and larger studio style bedrooms. Facilities provided will include a ground floor lounge, study, gym and social spaces, with generous cycle storage provision, laundry and storage.

External amenity provision includes a rear landscaped courtyard and external terraces at roof level. Largely car-free, the development will have two parking spaces included, one of which will be an accessible/disabled parking space.

Following an extensive pre-application and public engagement process, a series of design changes and developments have been realised:

  • The overall massing was reduced from 8 to 7 storeys, while revised floor-to-floor heights and a shortening of the parapet has significantly reduced the building height further.
  • The commercial area offering has been increased, with additional provision for an outdoor terraced area. The proposed commercial space will include a new community local food and drink use, replacing the neighbouring Limelite pub, but under the same local ownership.
  • Let by Heineken UK, the Willow pub, which currently operates on the site, has been relocated to Musselburgh and is now trading as Willow on High Street following an agreement with Heineken. It will operate both at this new location and it is hoped at Jock’s Lodge until the latter is redeveloped.

Prior to taking on a temporary management agreement for The Willow at Jock’s Lodge, the operators were advised of the planned sale of the site by Heineken, who identified it for disposal due to a chequered trading history.

They were offered it on a limited tenure and opted to take it on that basis while the negotiations to redevelop the site were finalised. The operators currently operate on a very minimum rent/utility-free basis.

Alumno has a strong reputation for commissioning new artworks for its developments and is working with arts consultant, Matthew Jarratt, to deliver a series of sculpture and other artwork commissions which will be integrated into the new building and public realm by Edinburgh-based artist, Kenny Hunter.

Local artists and students/recent graduates from Edinburgh College of Art will also be engaged in design projects and given the opportunity to showcase their works at the site.

Having assessed the number of existing and proposed purpose-built student accommodation developments in the area, along with analysing the existing concentration of students, it is clear there is not a significant number of new purpose-built student accommodation overall in this area when set against an Edinburgh context.

Even if the development is delivered, the concentration of students will remain within an acceptable threshold.  If approved, the eight developments that are within a mile radius of the site (including Jock’s Lodge), will amount to 1,666 bedrooms, giving a student population of 4.3 per cent in terms of purpose-built accommodation in that location. Combined with other students i.e. those not living in purpose-built accommodation, this results in a total of 3,523 students or 8.9 per cent of the population.

In addition, if approved, the number of full-time students living in the Craigentinny/ Duddingston ward (in which the Jocks Lodge site sits) will only rise to 10.1 per cent of the resident population if all the accommodation that is currently in use, has been approved, or is at application stage, is delivered.

This level would still be significantly lower than the proportions of full-time students living in the Southside/Newington, City Centre, Meadows/Morningside and Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart wards.

It is anticipated that spending in the local area by the students living at the Jock’s Lodge development is estimated to be more than £900,000 per year, and at its peak during the construction phase it is estimated  that the site will employ a workforce of up to 40.

David Campbell, founder of Alumno said: “This exciting mixed-use scheme will serve to ease the acute housing pressures by providing greater options whilst addressing the increasing and well documented student housing demand by providing modern, high quality and well managed accommodation.

“We have listened to the responses of the local community through our thorough consultation process and have reduced the height of the building to accommodate this feedback.

“Employment and investment will be generated both during construction and once complete, increasing footfall to local shops and also serving to provide a new sustainable food/drink outlet for the community, including outdoor space. We are committed to being a good neighbour and believe our plans will make the best and most positive impact on what is a highly constrained and challenging urban site.”

Established in 2006, Alumno is part of Places for People, a property management, development and regeneration company based in the UK.

Alumno specialises in the design and development of high-quality, modern accommodation for students.

Foysol Choudhury MSP: ‘Eyre Place Planning Application must be rejected’

Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “Following many residents contacting me with their concerns about the planning application for student housing in Eyre Place, I visited the planning application site. 

“I met with local residents to discuss their concerns and when you stand in the garden of residents, it is only then that you get an idea of the scale and impact the development would have on all the residents.

“I agree with their objections. Their major concerns are the overall scale of the development, its overbearing presence blocking natural light for neighbours, and dense accommodation which would overburden local infrastructure and amenities.

“The massing and height would lead to an overdevelopment of the site, potentially negatively impacting residential amenities. The proposal, overall, is not compatible with the character of the area in terms of use or design.

“My constituents are also concerned that the top storey of the flats will be dedicated to ‘entertainment’ and karaoke booths and are understandably worried about noise levels.

“I want to make sure that my constituents all have a good standard of living and a comfortable home and therefore I want to see that proposed developments do not reduce sunlight or an open outlook and do not increase noise and disturbance.”

Green light for 142 homes at Silverlea

Proposals for another ‘net zero’ housing development, as part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s £1.3bn Granton Waterfront regeneration project, have been granted approval by city planners.

This major milestone follows the start of construction work at the £72m, 444-home ‘Western Villages’ project, which is also part of the local authority’s wider regeneration of the area. Over the next ten years 3,500 mixed-tenure homes and associated infrastructure will create a new, sustainable coastal community.

Hart Builders will start work on site in 2023 at Silverlea to deliver 142 high quality sustainable homes, including wheelchair-accessible ground-floor dwellings in a mix of social rent (91) and mid-market rent (51) each benefitting from coastal views and access to parkland. 

Cllr Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “I’m delighted with today’s decision. We’ve reached another major milestone on our Granton Waterfront project to deliver much needed sustainable affordable housing in the area. I recently visited our Western Villages development nearby and was very pleased to see we’re already starting work there to deliver 444 net zero homes on the site. 

The homes that we build here will make such a difference for wheelchair users and others who find it so difficult to get a home that meets their needs. Our proposals for the site have been carefully designed to improve the quality of the surrounding green space and to make it easier for people to walk or cycle around the area.

Forth Ports unveils plans for new waterfront development in Leith

Forth Ports has submitted a Proposal of Application Notice (PAN) to The City of Edinburgh Council for Harbour 31, an exciting mixed-use development on a 10-acre waterfront site at Leith.

The development has the aspiration to create a vibrant new neighbourhood for Leith. The plans for the waterside location include: 700 – 800 residential apartments, a hotel, local retail, flexible workspaces and offices and leisure facilities. The site sits on a dockside location and fits well with the Council’s Local Development Plan as being housing-led, mixed use development.

The development will see the regeneration of land adjacent to the newly opened FirstStage Studios, providing a place to live and work, for both creative and green jobs, as the Port of Leith transitions to become Scotland’s premier renewables hub. The site will also benefit from the new tram extension due to open in mid-2023.

Carole Cran, Chief Financial Officer of landowners Forth Ports Group, said: “At Harbour 31 we plan to create a vibrant new quarter to live and work, as new creative and green jobs come to Leith.

“With the option to walk to work or an easy tram ride into the city centre, this new neighbourhood will be a focal point of Leith’s continued regeneration.”

An online public consultation will take place on 23 June 2022 from 3.00pm – 7.00pm via www.harbour31.com, where further details of the proposed development can be found.

Following the outcome of the public consultation, a full planning application will be submitted.

Did planning dispute lead to Alistair Wilson murder?

‘TIME IS NO BARRIER TO JUSTICE’

Detectives investigating the murder of Alistair Wilson at his home in Nairn in 2004 are appealing for information about a local planning application they believe may be significant to the enquiry.

Mr Wilson had objected to a large decking area outside the Havelock Hotel, opposite his home in Crescent Road, shortly before he was shot dead on his doorstep.

Detectives recently travelled to Canada to interview a key witness regarding this planning application and are appealing for the public’s help to gather more information.

Officers from Police Scotland’s Major Investigation Team, which is carrying out the investigation, can also confirm they now believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and is not connected to his employment with the Bank of Scotland.

Detective Superintendent Graeme Mackie said: “Shortly before his murder, Alistair had objected to the building of a large decking area within the car park of the Havelock Hotel, directly opposite the family home which he said was responsible for increased noise and litter in the area.

“The decking was built in the summer of 2004 and subject to a retrospective planning application at the time of the murder.

“While we cannot rule out any scenario, we believe this could be significant to our enquiries and I am asking anyone with information about this issue to please come forward and speak with officers.

“Alistair did not disclose his disapproval regarding the decking to many people, however we understand that his formal objection was sent by the Local Authority to the Havelock Hotel on the Thursday before his murder and knowledge of his objections became public before his murder on the Sunday, which may be significant.

“I would also appeal to anyone who was involved in the building of the decking area at the Havelock Hotel in 2004 to come forward.

“Through significant enquiries being carried out we believe the answer to Alistair’s murder lies within his personal life and not in his role with the bank.

“Someone locally will have that piece of information that could be crucial to catching his killer and providing answers for his family.”

Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk

Last month Police Scotland issued an appeal for information about two men seen with a handgun on a beach near the town a month before the fatal shooting.

Following recent appeals for information, a witness has reported seeing two men, one aged in their 20s and the other between 40 and 60 years old on East Beach, Nairn.

The witness has said the younger man was in possession of a handgun.

Detective Superintendent Mackie said: “We have been very clear that time is no barrier to justice and I hope these recent appeals will further reassure the public that we are determined to bring Alistair’s killer to justice.

“I would like to thank the local community for the positive response to our recent appeals for information.”

Following a recent review of witness accounts, further analysis of timings from the night in question and investigative developments, officers altered the description of the man they want to trace in connection with Alistair’s murder.

Detectives believe the man who shot Alistair on his doorstep to have been aged between 20 and 40-years-old at the time. This would mean he is now aged in his mid-30s to almost 60 years old.

He was approximately 5ft 7in tall and was wearing a baseball cap and jacket.

Previous appeals described the gunman as being between 30 and 40-years-old.

Mr Wilson was shot around 7pm on Sunday, 28 November 2004 after a man called at the family’s home on Crescent Road, Nairn, spoke to his wife Veronica who answered the door and asked for her husband by name.

Mr Wilson went downstairs to speak to the man and was handed a blue envelope with the word “Paul” on it. He went inside briefly and then returned to the door for a second time when he was fatally shot.

Anyone who believes they can assist police is asked to contact 101 quoting incident 515 of 4 March 2022 and Operation Sorn or you can e-mail a dedicated inbox at SCDHOLMESAberdeen@scotland.pnn.police.uk

HUB and Bridges submit plans for Beaverhall Build-To-Rent development

Developer HUB and Bridges Fund Management (“Bridges”), a specialist sustainable and impact investor, have submitted plans for a residential-led development on Beaverhall Road.

The scheme will provide 205 Build to Rent homes, including 52 affordable homes, as well as creative workspace co-designed with locals and a new publicly accessible courtyard.

The proposals for Beaverhall Road will replace an existing warehouse building, with a contemporary scheme that maintains the site’s status as a hub for the local creative community, while bringing new homes to the area.

New public realm, Makers Yard, will sit at the heart of the scheme, acting as a focal point for both residents and commercial tenants, as well as neighbours. The scheme will also feature a large mural, displayed on one of the external walls.

As with all HUB and Bridges projects, people and planet are at the heart of the scheme. The new development makes efficient use of a brownfield city centre site and will deliver ‘tenure-blind’ homes for all ages, meaning all residents’ homes will be of the same high quality.

The plans exceed current Scottish sustainability regulations and include a communal air source heat pump to provide environmentally responsible heating for the entire building and a biodiverse green roof.

Designed by architects shedkm, the scheme has been developed in close collaboration with the local community and current businesses, with the ground floor creative workspace co-designed by the existing tenants.

Situated in Canonmills, the proposed development is within easy reach of the city centre, while benefiting from a sense of community created by the area’s existing amenities.

Situated within walking distance from both Stockbridge, close to the Royal Botanic Gardens, and Leith, which Time Out recently named one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, the HUB and Bridges scheme will allow residents to explore the best that the city has to offer.

Tom Valente, Development Manager at HUB, said: “We are hugely excited to have submitted plans for one of our first schemes in Edinburgh.

“We were struck by the vibrancy of the creative community in the area and knew immediately that we wanted to maintain that by placing studios and maker spaces at the heart of the development.

“The mix of Build to Rent and creative workspace is one that we know works fantastically well in terms of fostering a sense of community and making places where people choose to live.”

Cruden Homes reveals proposals for new Leith apartments

Edinburgh-based housebuilder Cruden Homes has revealed exciting proposals to deliver much-needed housing in Leith.

Located on the site of the former Edinburgh Carpet and Flooring Warehouse, on the corner of Salamander Street and Salamander Yards, the proposed development will aim to comprise 96 apartments.

Including a range of different sized apartments, the development will range from four to six storeys, with the added bonus of ground floor retail fronting onto Salamander Street. 

A proposal of application notice (PAN) has now been submitted with City of Edinburgh Council, noting the intent to submit a planning application following a minimum 12-week consultation period.

A web-based community consultation events, in line with Scottish Government Covid-guidelines, will allow the community to provide feedback on and shape the proposals.

The event will take place on 27th April from 3.30pm-7.30pm.

Commenting on these proposals, Rory Stephens from Cruden Homes said: “This exciting and ambitious scheme will serve to regenerate the current brownfield site, delivering much-needed sustainable housing, including affordable homes, as well as providing a retail offering on the ground floor.

“We’re very much looking forward to consulting widely with the local community and key stakeholders over the coming months, which will include a digital consultation event, and are keen to hear their views in shaping proposals for this site.”