Controversial plans to build two 3-storey dwellings in the garden of 27 Great King St have been approved (Ref. 10/01744/FUL).
Thirteen letters of objection from nearby residents, and another from the Cockburn Association, cited loss of amenity, ugly and out-of-scale design, incompatible or alien materials, loss of a garden (rather than regeneration of a ‘redundant site’), parking disruption, traffic hazards, planning precedents and insufficient notification among reasons to turn down the scheme.
Great King Street residents were especially concerned at sharing their already ‘overburdened’ drains, hinting darkly at past instances of ‘hazardous overflows’ and ‘costly unpleasantness’.
To the surprise of many, Historic Scotland – whilst noting that no building had stood here before and that the area was characterised by the open aspect of uninterrupted gardens backing onto Northumberland Street North East Lane – did not oppose the building design. Rather, it welcomed the fact that the plan was not for a ‘mock mews’ seeking to compete with or mimic its surroundings.
Following the Committee’s decision to grant planning permission, John Bury, Head of Planning, somewhat tersely explained that ‘Proposals comply with the development plan and non-statutory policies, have no adverse effect on the character or appearance of the conservation area or the setting of the listed building, and have no detrimental impact on the residential amenity or road safety’.
One imagines neighbourly relations around No. 27 will be somewhat frosty for the foreseeable future.
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Planning permission has been granted to convert the Category A-listed 65 Northumberland Street from previous use as a care home back into a townhouse (Ref. 10/01929/LBC). Historic Scotland welcomed the conservation gain, on condition proper care was taken over restoring astragals.
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Joint Properties Ltd have been given the green light to convert Category B-listed 30–1 Queen Street to an 85-bedroom hotel with ancillary accommodation, retaining the existing car park and introducing new conservation rooflights (Ref. 10/01824/LBC).
The Edinburgh Access Panel initially objected to what it saw as inadequate disabled access, but City Planning officials appear not to have agreed.
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland objected to the changing of a door to a window, saying it would disrupt the visual flow of the streetscape. The Cockburn Association had similar concerns over new fire escape access, and hoped that the original proportions and later period details of groundfloor rooms fronting Queen Street could be retained or restored. Revisions to the original plan took account of these latter concerns and partially addressed them.