The site of a potential development at 12–14 Picardy Place (backing onto Broughton Street Lane) is under offer. The name of the prospective buyer has not been made public.
Plans for a 67-bedroom hotel here were approved in October 2021 (20/05729/FUL). Whilst currently arranged to support full-service hotel operations and food and beverage accommodation, marketing details note that the property could be redesigned to a ‘more bedroom-led configuration’.
There are, these continue, ‘significant asset management and repositioning potential, together with further redevelopment opportunities’, subject to obtaining any further necessary planning permissions.
‘Given the existing use and arrangement, the Property is particularly well-suited for a hybrid hospitality concept combining uses such as hostel, hotel, or aparthotel. …
‘Combined with a potential destination restaurant or bar concept, the building presents the opportunity to become an iconic new venue in central Edinburgh.’
Vague assertions, cause for concern?
Some of these vague assertions may concern those who previously welcomed the development’s retention of original room sizes and layouts in the B-listed structures fronting Picardy Place.
Promoted by Silvermills Estates & Land and designed by Morgan McDonnell Architecture, work apparently began on-site in July 2024. However, judging by the Picardy Place exterior and the scaffolding along Broughton St Lane, that work is not complete. We do not know the state of progress inside, and SE&L has declined to answer our questions about it.
At the time of the application, New Town & Broughton Community Council was broadly supportive of the development.
Given that it considered the site was unsuitable for residential use, NTBCC saw sense in operating a hotel here and applauded the ‘advantages and attractions’ of opening a through route from Picardy Place via a glazed courtyard to a hotel bar at the rear. For early visualisations, see Section 9 of the developer’s Design & Access Statement.
The site forms part of a palaced façade (Nos 2–22) constructed between 1803 and 1809 to designs by Robert Burn (1752–1815).
Got a view? Tell us at spurtle@hotmail.co.uk
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