A PLANNING application for purpose-built student accommodation in the Scottish capital has now been submitted to City of Edinburgh Council.
The proposals, by specialist accommodation provider Alumno Group, are located at Jock’s Lodge, on the corner of Restalrig Road South and London Road.
The development will include 191 student rooms, as well as ground floor commercial space, in order to address rapidly increased demand and provide “a boost for local businesses” through delivering increased footfall.
Existing local businesses on the site have 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 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 eight to seven 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.
Alumno 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.
Alumno says that after assessing the number of existing and proposed purpose-built student accommodation developments in the area, 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.
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.
“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.”
