LOCALS RALLY TO RESIST RBS PLANS

Around 20 locals attended last night’s New Town and Broughton Community Council to oppose pre-application development proposals for the Royal Bank of Scotland site on and behind Dundas Street (see Issue 249). 

Members of the Royal Crescent Residents Association and the Drummond Civic Association joined unaffiliated neighbours in criticising the overall scale of the scheme, a variety of design elements, and other potential problems. 

Community council concerned 

The meeting began with NTBCC’s planning convener Richard Price summarising the council’s own reading of the latest proposals.

NTBCC’s position has hardened since early February, when their reception was, if anything, politely supportive. Since then, more detail available at the public exhibition on 25 February has given them cause for concern (see pdf at foot of page).

Whilst welcoming a masterplan for the area (rather than piecemeal development), and a well-run process of engagement with the public, Price described the scheme’s most recent evolution as a ‘backward step’.

In particular, the thin, six-storey ‘finger blocks’, would have a negative impact on Royal Crescent residents’ amenity, and tower over King George V Park to the north.

They were simply too high, and inconsistent with adjacent streets. NTBCC would call in due course for a report on the scheme’s daylight/overshadowing impact at different times of day and year.

Price applauded the developers’ likely application for a wide variety of mixed uses, as a thriving commercial presence would be important for the future success of small businesses already in the area.

Traffic, trees and shaky ground

Whilst in favour of the developer’s plans for 100 per cent underground parking, Price was sceptical about their claims that peak traffic flow along Eyre Terrace would be less than current levels under Royal Bank of Scotland’s occupation. More detailed work on this would be required.

This was a point reiterated by NTBCC’s environment convener Judy Conn. She went on to criticise the reduction in open ground, pedestrian permeability, and views compared to earlier versions of the proposals.

Conn also raised concerns about drainage, and the effect of building too close to trees on Royal Crescent. She felt the development was hard-edged and would loom over the street and King George V Park below ‘like a series of massive gable ends’. She was also against a 4-storey or higher extension of the development along the park’s western boundary.

There were fears, she said, about the effect of construction piling on the future stability of property at the foot of Dundonald Street, where foundations had required strengthening in the past.

Wide range of issues

Local resident Dorothy Hogg had earlier circulated a long compilation of locals’ comments (see pdf at foot of page), not all of which had been covered in NTBCC’s deliberations. She suspected City of Edinburgh Council planning guidelines were not being followed on the 20 per cent greenspace requirement for new developments, and on respect for local topography.

Others made points about excessive massing, overdevelopment/population density, areas of poor drainage and land instability on Eyre Place, and historic recreational uses of the space.

Drummond Civic Association and others have written to Royal Bank of Scotland inviting them to donate the car park as a beneficent addition to the adjacent public park.

It was asserted that whatever Royal Bank of Scotland could raise by selling the site (purportedly £10m–£15m), it was a drop in the ocean compared to their staff bonuses and overall operation. Therefore locals should hold out for the best possible design.

What next?

Chair Ian Mowat promised to reflect locals' strength of feeling in the NTBCC's final written response to the developer. He saw no harm in locals writing to GVA Grimley, even though the 4 March deadline for such submissions had passed.

NTBCC shared the general sense that too much was being proposed for the site, and councillors urged all present to coordinate their own written responses and political lobbying via residents associations and social media.

To that end, it was pointed out that Royal Crescent sits within  the City Centre ward, whilst the RBS site (bounded by Dundas Street, Fettes Row, Royal Crescent, St Mark’s Park, Eyre Place and Eyre Terrace) sits within the Inverleith ward. Objectors should contact the city councillor representing their home address.

An application for outline planning permission is expected to be sent to the Council’s Planning Department later this month. It is on that document that Spurtle recommends most locals focus their attention. We’ll report on it as and when it becomes available.

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 Paul Burgess No doubt our wonderful council will yet again give the green light to any old rubbish.

 Brian McNeil Good luck to those opposing this; since it's a bank I doubt they'll have much luck.

 Ross McEwan This needs a ContraPlan proposals

 Rebecca Bridgland The plans aren't that bad, and it's not about looming over the park so much as blocking the views. Something needs to be done with the space. I remember when Scotland Yard was a forgotten relic. The refurbishment of the play park almost 30 years ago was never followed up by reinvigorating the brownfield land. I'm not against leaving it as is, but the plans are in no way as terrible as say, Canonmills Bridge/Earthy. And I say that as a lifetime resident who grew up on Scotland St.

 RBS Redevelopment Please follow/like RBS Redevelopment and have your say on the proposals.

 RBS Redevelopment Marco Biagi (MSP for Ed. Central) was contacted. The was the reply:

 RBS Redevelopment Mr Price is the excellent gentleman who presented the considered and crafted sketch of an alternative plan at the recent Community Council meeting. He adds...

I have had a look at the Council's planning guidelines on open space (available on the net): 

Page 76 refers to the need for spaces of at least 2 hectares within 800 m walking distance of houses and flats.