A major new development is proposed for the gap-site next to McDonald Road Library at 34B Haddington Place (Ref. 14/02115/PAN).
S. Harrison Developments Ltd’s plans comprise student accommodation, retail, gym, café and restaurant uses. Because the gross floor area of the proposed building is over 5,000 sq.m. the scheme will adhere to pre-application notification (PAN) and public consultation processes.
An attended exhibition will be held at McDonald Road Library from 2.00–8.00pm on Tues. 24 June, and a presentation will be made to Leith Central Community Council (7pm, McDonald Road Library) on Mon. 16 June. Another presentation – to the New Town and Broughton Community Council – has yet to be arranged.
The plans are not yet available to view, but most people will agree that development of this site is long overdue.
The York-based Harrison Group began in 1952 as a small local building firm, but has grown since and now describes itself as one of the UK’s most successful privately owned development businesses, with a strong presence in the North of England:
Harrison delivers value to all those involved in schemes development, often on difficult sites where others see no scope for reward.
So many of Harrison's flagship developments deliver real community benefit, and Harrison has established a strong reputation for its consultative approach, ensuring that wherever possible all scheme stakeholders derive optimum benefit.
For Harrison’s current and completed projects, visit their website here.
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Their latest application (Ref. 14/02070/AMC) is for approval of matters specified in Condition 23 (ii) of planning permission 08/03361/OUT. It specifies ‘the precise location and extent of individual uses’.
Those uses are retail, leisure and culture, hotel, offices, food and drink, residential and other ancillary uses (including Financial, Professional and other services), car parking, servicing, access arrangements, and new public realm.
Spurtle has hardly begun to digest the documents, but a quick skim suggests proposals are no further forward at this stage for a hotel and tram/bus interchange at Picardy Place.
A good place to start on the wealth of material appears to be the 'Illustrative Masterplan Addendum' Part 1; Part 2; Part 3.