TIME TO HAVE YOUR SAY
Those wishing to comment on Royal Bank of Scotland’s amended application for planning permission in principle (Ref. 16/05454/PPP) at Dundas Street/Fettes Row/Eyre Place have until 15 January to do so. The easiest way to make your voice heard is via the Council’s Planning portal here.
The latest proposals differ from the last lot in various significant ways:
- reduction of 4 blocks on Fettes Row from 8 storeys to 7
- reduction of blocks on Royal Crescent from 8 storeys to 4 (but still over Historic Environment Scotland’s recommended height of 1.75 storeys above street level)
- reduction of parking spaces from 527 to 311
- a more symmetrical approach to layout of 4 blocks at the site’s south-eastern end
- reduction in total floorspace (not just residential) of 20 per cent.
An excellent summary appears on the New Town & Broughton Community website here.
The revisions will not be enough to appease many local people, over 100 of whom squeezed into NTBCC’s extraordinary meeting on Monday 8 January.
They say the building heights on Royal Crescent are still too high, and worry that local services (e.g. schools and surgeries) would be swamped if the whole area were redeveloped for housing (up to 400 residential units have been applied for as an option). This, however, is not a material cause for concern at this stage.
Access from Eyre Place is considered problematically constrained, and likely to result in parking spilling out onto nearby streets.
There is widespread agreement that demolition of the existing RBS buildings should not take place until either they have been repurposed or full planning permission has been granted for their replacement.
Osler's advice
Objections made to the previous application will still stand, but Councillor Hal Osler (Ward 5) nevertheless recommends reiterating those arguments with reference to the latest outline application. She stressed the need to make material points, such as negative impact on amenity, potential noise, vibration, and overly high buildings in contravention of the Council’s Policy DEV. 4.
Remember, that this application simply outlines a range of potential uses with a view to maximising the site’s value on the market. Many more considerations will need to be assessed in future if and when a detailed planning application is submitted.
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